Monster
by scrappy12
Summary: When Abby places a spell on Klaus that causes him to regain his soul, Klaus struggles with all the bad things he had done in his life. Caroline tries to lead a normal life but finds it hard to do. Will her bond with Klaus help her to accept who she is?
1. Then There is One

**Author's Note: So this is my first Vampire Diaries story. I'm new to Vampire Diaries, but I absolutely love the writing on this show. I'm a fan of Damon and Elena, but I found myself gravitating towards Caroline and Klaus. So this is my first ever Klaroline fanfic and I hope I do it justice for you long time Vampire Diaries fans. I've been googling and catching up on the details of both Caroline and Klaus, so I hope I get the characters right. I hope you enjoy the story and excuse the mistakes because I wrote on my Ipad in class. I look forward to your thoughts. :)**

* * *

**MONSTER**

* * *

**Chapter One- Then There is One**

_The thing about being alone is that-_

_You're stuck with your thoughts._

_Some thoughts are good, then some are bad._

_But what difference does it make about it being bad-_

_You're alone._

Brushing her hair in front of the mirror, Caroline almost forgets that her friends have summoned her presence at Elena's house. Sure that it was another apocolyptic meeting, where the fate of their lives were surely hanging in the balance yet another day. It was becoming routine to sense the doom with each day that passed, but Caroline couldn't help but want to take her time in the one thing that made her feel like she was normal. Looking over at the pictures that were pressed against her mirror, Caroline focused in on the one that should be her priority, the one that was going to become her priority and that was her relationship with Tyler. They had gone through their rough patches in their Senior Year, but she had hopes that their college life together would be better. It had to be better for the sake of her attempt to be normal.

It was about noon once Caroline had made it over to Elena's house, and as usual Damon was off in his own headspace. Elena had struggled to make her choice between the two brothers, but Caroline knew without any thought behind it that she loved Damon. Wasn't sure she understood it, but she loved him and though she worried for her friend due to her own bouts with Damon, Caroline was glad the tug of war on her heart was coming to a close. Walking into the kitchen, Caroline soon froze once she saw that Abby was standing with a cup of coffee in hand. Recalling the last she saw of Bonnie's mother, Caroline was sure that she had seen the last of her, but by the looks of things she had returned for special reasons that maybe she should've rushed over to find out about. Just as the gang filed in peice by peice, Tyler made his way into the house as he closed the door behind Jeremy. Caroline's heart went into a flutter as she exchanged looks with Tyler as they all gathered around the table.

"Okay kiddies, I have just delivered on an early Christmas to you all" Damon smirked as folded his arms

"You, I believe I'm the one that did the work" Abby replied

"So it worked?" Elena asked as she looked over at Bonnie with a bit of a smile on her face

"Yes, from what I picked up on earlier as I trekkd over to our esteemed pain in the all in purpose ass, it has taken affect" Damon told her

"How much time does that buy us?" Stefan then asked

"Enough, but we can't keep our eye of the main goal for one second because that will work against" Damon replied

"Wait, what are we talking about? all I hear is blah blah blah" Caroline asked as she felt a bit lost in the conversation that was taking place

"Abby found a spell a boundrary spell that keeps Klaus bounded to the Originals land" Bonny told her

"Since the founding families each had their claimed land, this town was mapped off into sections. It's sort of like an invisible restriction, but only to Klaus since it ties into his bloodline" Stefan told her

"Great, so that means he'll be trapped inside his mansion, which doesn't sound all that bad now that I say it aloud, but he won't be able to harm anyone" Caroline replied

"Yes, but the boundrary spell won't last for long. There are ways around it, if Klaus should figure them out" Abby stated

"How?" Tyler asked eagerly as he seemed more pressed to keep Klaus away more than anyone before he shared a gaze with Caroline "I mean if this is something established by the founding families, then it should hold, right?" he asked tearing his attention away from her

"That's the part we have to figure out" Damon replied as he got lost into thought

"You mentioned bloodlines, well wouldn't it have to do with his father?...he was a werewolf, so surely the ticket for Klaus would be his father" Jeremy said

"He may be on to something" Stefan said as he looked over at Damon

"I thought Michael was killed, remember with the whole 'I'm here to kill Klaus bit' that he was on" Caroline mentioned

"No, not Michael. Klaus's biological father" Stefan replied

"Okay, well sitting here trying to figure out the family drama that is Klaus won't do us any good because ultimately we need to kill him. We got our time, now we need to just learn the ways of killing an original beyond the White Oak" Damon said as he clapped his hands together

* * *

Stumbling into the restroom, Klaus felt his way around to try to find the light to turn on withing the restroom. Technology had long been a cluster of frustration for him in his time spent in this new era, but Klaus found that his strength was waning on him. Clenching on tight to the sides of the sink, Klaus lowered his head as e felt a wave of emotions run through him as he tried to keep his balance. Though he became aware of the spell that Damon and friends had placed on him, Klaus couldn't help but have his spells of weakness throughout the day that made him feel a bit more uneasy than he had ever felt. Hearing the door close from downstairs, Klaus gathered himself up before he quickly headed out of his room. Looking up to the top of staircase, Rebekkah placed her bag down beside her as Klaus made his way down the staircase, looking a bit ill than what she last saw of her brother from the previous night.

"Going somewhere Rebekkah?" Klaus asked as he felt a surge of energy run through his body

"We need to get out of here Nik" Rebekkah replied "They've started to ask more questions" she said as she folded her arms as Klaus took in the sight of her bags

"You're being dramatic Rebekkah. Do take your talents to the stage rather than drowning my eardrums with them" Klaus said as he walked over towards the bar to pour himself a drinking while Rebekkah followed behind

"I mean it Nik. They've all ready placed unknown spells on you, what if they figure out another white oak tree?" Rebekkah asked

"Bloody hell Becca!...it's a bloody boundrary spell. It's not going to kill us..." Klaus angrily replied

"Not us Nik. You. They placed a boudrary spell on you, boundrary spell as in old witchery" Rebekkah said "We've got too many enemies to stay in one place" she told him

"Oh, then what do you suppose we do? do we just run from those that are weaker, I don't run and I will not run" Klaus forcefully replied

"This is your pride!...you will get us killed with your pride" Rebekkah said standing her ground "I love you. Your my brother, but I will not die for pride...I want to live" she told him

"What are you saying?" Klaus asked as he began to massage his forehead in frustration

"I'm saying what you suspect. I'm going to try to get us out of this..." Rebekkah began to say

"Just say it" Klaus blurted out before a silence came between them "You're running. You're scared that since they came for me, that they'll come for you. Is that about right?" he asked as he swallowed a lump in his throat from the emotions that suddenly came to him  
"I'll come back for you" Rebekkah reasoned

"That's when I won't be susceptible to being killed, right?" Klaus asked with a bit of sarcasm as he walked towards his sister

"I will come for you" Rebekkah replied sternly as she gripped onto his shoulders. Looking into her eyes, Klaus wanted to believe his sister's words but knew that the fear in her eyes contradicted every bit of what she told him. She couldn't save him when she wasn't quite sure how to save herself. Leaning in to kiss the side of her face, Klaus treasured the moment so sweetly before he backed away.

"Don't come back for me" Klaus whispered to her "I don't want you by my side" he told her as she pulled back in surprise by his words. Backing away from his sister, Klaus walked over towards the door to open it "Go" he said through gritted teeth

"Nik..." Rebekkah began to say

"Go!" Klaus yelled catching her off guard with his forcefulness before she simply obliged his wishes. Feeling like with each step that she took, Rebekkah knew that she was breaking her brother's heart, if he were to have one, but it was his wishes that she was now obliging she told herself. Giving her no time to turn around for the teary eyed goodbye, Klaus swiftly slammed the door behind his sister. Turning to look on the path she had chosen, Rebekkah found that movement was harder to do than she thought. Hearing the screams from within, Rebekkah let a single tear drop fall as she knew in this moment that she had truly left her brother alone.

* * *

Prancing down the staircase, Tyler headed into the kitchen to grab an apple from the fruit basket as he was sure his mother would have out. Opening up the fridge as he chomped on his apple, Tyler looked on to see if anything would satisfy his hunger that he had going. Spending most of the day attempting to do homework for his first day of classes at college, Tyler found that nothing held his attention to even put forth effort to completing his homework. Hearing the doorbell ring, Tyler sighed as he hoped it wasn't one of the town hall members that were hoping to come talk off his ear. Opening up the door, Tyler was surprised to see Caroline standing on the otherside of the door.

"Hey" Caroline replied nervously as she gripped on tight to the strap on her purse "So I was coming from school, I had classes today. They were as to be expected, boring. I thought I should stop by because I hadn't seen you since yesterday, and I just wanted to know if you were okay with classes seeing as your first day of class started tomorrow..." she babbled while all he could do was laugh at her nervousness

"You can come inside" Tyler smiled before she slowly let a smile break as he opened up the door wider for her to enter. "You know you don't have to create excuses to stop by" he told her

"I know, but I just didn't know how things were with us" Caroline replied "How are things with us?" she quickly followed up

"Things are fine" Tyler laughed "Why would you think things weren't?" he then asked as he closed the door before digging his hands in his pocket

"Because you've been distancing yourself from me. I mean I know that college is a bit crazy, but I just thought you were distant" Caroline reasoned

"I guess all this Klaus stuff has me a bit stand offish" Tyler sighed "I just don't want to start off college with all the Klaus stuff, I just want to be normal as much as possible with the circumstances we have" he said

"I understand that" Caroline smiled "I mean I'm a vampire and your a werewolf...we've got enough going against us" she said

"But that doesn't mean I don't want us" Tyler told her "I want us to work" he said as he reached out to grab her hand before she walked over to hug him

"You have no idea how much I wanted to hear that" Caroline said before she pulled back to give him a quick kiss

"It'll be an adjustment being in college, but I know we can work" Tyler told her "We just have to talk to each other and make us a priority" he told her

"I agree" Caroline smiled "Who knew college would make you such a brainiac" she laughed as she gave him yet another kiss

"I guess" Tyler laughed as he wrapped his arms tight around her as it was clear that he had other things on his mind that he wanted them to do. Feeling her cell phone vibrate in her purse, Caroline did her best to ignore it "Is that you?" he asked in between kisses as he walked her over towards the staircase

"Yeah" Caroline replied as she found it hard to ignore the call "I have to take this" she said breaking away from the kiss

"No, no, no" Tyler replied as he tried to capture her lips again but Caroline had pulled away quick enough

"Hello" Caroline answered the phone as she tried to dodge Tyler's lips that were eager to kiss her

"Come over. Now" Damon instructed sternly

"I'm busy Damon" Caroline replied not wanting

"Oh, I'm sorry. If you want to continue kissing your werewolf boyfriend, then I suggest you come over" Damon told her before he hung up the phone. Looking on at her phone in confusion, Caroline looked up to see Tyler looking at her with concern in his face.

"What'd Damon say?" Tyler asked

"I have to go" Caroline replied as she tucked her phone away into her pocket before leaned over to kiss Tyler once more "We should do something tonight" she then suggested

"Something along the lines like what we were about to do?" Tyler asked as he grabbed ahold of her hand

"Yes, something along those lines" Caroline smiled as she backed away from him before she eventually left.

* * *

Storming into the oversized mansion, Caroline wanted to make a clear point that she would not be summoned in the manner that Damon had called her in. Who does he think he is? Does he treat Elena this way? Why is it he stays on ass mode all through out the day? Carolina asked herself as she looked around to spot Damon. Sighing in frustration, Caroline began to get annoyed with the fact that Damon had summoned her only to not even be at the said location he said to meet him at. Folding her arms in frustration, Caroline huffed out in annoyance before she finally figured that having a drink would suffice for the moment before she would storm off so he'd get the point. Pouring a bit of bourbon, Caroline couldn't help but think that Damon and Stefan drank like old men with the bourbon. Taking a sip of the substance, Caroline found that it was quenching the spot. Coming down the staircase in his usual black attire, Caroline turned to flash a sarcastic smile on her face.

"What'd you want Damon? I have things to do" Caroline asked

"All of which consists of Tyler I'm sure" Damon smirked "Make yourself at home, that's my special glass you know" he said as he noticed that Caroline was drinking

"I could tell, the B positive gave you away. What'd you want?" Caroline asked  
"I want...what I want. Well I would like for world hunger to end, such a tragic way to live..." Damon began to beat around the bush

"Damon!" Caroline groaned

"Tsk, tsk. Calm yourself Barbie" Damon laughed

"Don't call me that, I hate when you call me that" Caroline replied

"Did I strike a blonde nerve?" Damon asked as he began to pour himself a drink

"No, I just don't think I'm some dimwit Barbie" Caroline said "I mean it, why did you call me?" she asked

"Because I have a special task for you" Damon smiled "One that will require that spunk of yours" he said

"Task? what type?" Caroline asked in confusion "Is Elena here? Bonnie?" she asked

"No this task is something between you and I" Damon replied before Caroline processed what he had said before slapping him across the face.

"You son of a bitch!" Caroline sniped at him as he massaged his face

"Not that...I'm not, no!" Damon told her "I was talking about something that they can't know about because I know how Elenda feel if she knew I was asking you" he said

"That still doesn't make me feel less weirded out by you" Caroline said as she put distance between Damon and her

"I need you on Klaus watch" Damon told her

"What?...hell no" Caroline replied "If that's why you called then you wasted your time because I'm..." she began to say

"Klaus is a loose canon. A loose canon that is smart, if he finds a way to break the spell then he will kill Elena just for the hell of it and Abby as well" Damon told her

"He wouldn't kill Elena, he needs her" Caroline said

"The spell Abby did links into the moonstones that he's searching for. He wouldn't need Elena if he connects the dots on the connection" Damon said  
"How? What type of spell did you put on him? how do we go beyond old witchery to surpassing the moonstones?" Caroline asked

"Because Abby tapped into the spirits of the witches, this spell links every being conjured up..." Damon began to say as Caroline shook her head in confusion

"That makes no sense" Caroline replied

"It's not supposed to, hence it being written in latin. Abby used it, and got us time but we need to be sure that his time isn't being used to figure out how to kill us in a slow and torturous death" Damon said

"Why me? why do I have Klaus?" Caroline asked

"For the obvious reasons...Klaus fancies you" Damon replied as Caroline paced the floor

"Don't say that!" Caroline groaned

"It's the truth. Klaus has a sweet spot for you Caroline, and spending time with you would defer any bit of thought to kill us all...which on its own sounds like the guy is demented" Damon told her

"I'm standing here, I can here the insults" Caroline replied "Give me time, I need time to think" she said

"We need time to kill him, not for you to think. Give the answer now and go about your task starting tonight" Damon replied

"I'm not just blurting out an answer Damon! this just wont affect me" Caroline replied

"Yes, because Tyler won't understand about the bond between Klaus and you. That's high school drama, I don't have time for that. Wolf boy loves you, and he'll deal because he'll get to live another day with his precious friends that won't be torn apart by the Original" Damon said "Think of this as donating blood, do it and save a life...well maybe blood wasn't the best analogy seeing as we take the blood" he thought to himself.

* * *

Sitting with his back propped up against the post, Klaus looked around at the mansion that he had trashed around him. Glass broken into peices. Sofas thrown and bent out of shape. Walls with holes in them from being punched. Ripped piano tops that were tossed aside. Paintins ripped into halves like it were a newspaper. Of all the mess that surrounded him, Klaus took in the fact that he was now surrounded in what he felt was in his heart. Curtains closed with no possible way of sunlight shining through, Klaus sat in his self made darkness. Pressing his head up against the post as the emotions surged through his body, Klaus banged his head against the post as he couldn't nor wanted to feel. Groaning out in frustration with himself, Klaus looked on to see his hand shaking uncontrollably as his breathing became erractic. Swirling about in his head, Klaus could hear it loud and clear to where he hand to cover his ears in hopes of drowning it all out. Banging against his eardrum, Klaus was torn from his thoughts once he heard the sound of the doorbell. His eyes were once clenched shut but immediately opened at the sound. Could they have returned? Could his brothers and sister have realized that their powers were greater together than apart? Klaus asked himself before he found himself rising to get up from his seat. His clothes were a bit disheveled from his mayhem, but he had little thought to fixing his appearance. Opening the door, ready to greet his family and forget their actions of betrayal, Klaus found that disappointment once again came to him as he saw the blonde standing on his porch.

"Hey" Caroline replied as she tried to force a smile, but found that Klaus showed no emotion towards her trying to be nice "I just wanted to come by..." she began to say

"Tell your friends this message...the moment I find a way out of this boundrary spell, I will kill each and every one of them limb from limb" Klaus interrupted "Save the niceties love, you don't fake it well" he said before he slammed the door on her so that he could return to his darkness.

"Well...that went great" Caroline said after a few moments of processing the encounter she had just had with Klaus.


	2. In Lightness and In Dark

**Author's Note: Thank you to all that read the story. I hope you enjoy the chapter and I look forward to your feedback.**

* * *

**MONSTER**  
**Chapter Two- In Lightness and In Dark**

* * *

Standing by the window, Klaus folded his arms as he looked on at the passing objects that sparingly walked by in the distance of the mansion. Feeling the true seclusion of living so far out, Klaus often wondered if he should've followed Elijah's advice to live a low key life as opposed to the boystrous one he chose to live to evoke fear in those he preyed upon. Bringin his cup of blood up to take a sip from, Klaus quickly held off on partaking in his sip as an odor flooded his sense of smell. Putting the cup down on the nearest object, Klaus couldn't help but begin to motion to hurl as his insides twisted about uncomfortably. Hunched over, Klaus hacked and coughed to where he spit out the blood he once found pleasurable a few moments ago. Clenching to his chest, Klaus took a moment to access the weird feeling he had building inside of him. Legs began to tremble. Cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. Drowning noises that made him cover his ears as he pleaded with it all to stop. After what felt like an enternity, Klaus slowly came to a steady heartbeat as he turned his attention back towards the window. Spotting a middle aged man off in the distance, wondering about in the open pastures, Klaus wasted no time as he used his lighting speed to head out to surprise the man.

"Care to interest you in a bit of conversation?" Klaus asked catching the man off guard as he jumped back "Sorry old chap. I saw you from a distance...I'm sorry if I frightened you" he said in his charming voice.

"No, no. I'm a bit jumpy. I take my usual morning walk and never run into anyone out on this road" The man laughed

"Is that so?" Klaus asked "I suppose I have kept my manners. I live here on this here land" he then told the man

"Oh" The man smiled as he looked over at the house "I've always marveled at your house. I don't usually take this route, but I always come just to see that fine house of yours" he said

"You should really come and visit sometime. I feel dreadful that I haven't extended an inviting hand to my neighbor. I shall make it a point to invite you over for tea and cakes" Klaus smiled

"I'd love that" The man laughed "What is your name by the way?" he asked

"Nikolaus. Most call me Klaus, but I prefer Klaus...but you can call me Master until then" Klaus began to say before he finally compelled the man to his power. "You will serve me until I tell you otherwise. You will show unwavering loyalty to me with no doubt or question in mind. You will inform me of those that choose to do harm against me. You will see me as superior than the highest of Gods. You will be at my every beck and call. Do you understand what I commanding of you?" he asked as he looked on intently at the man

"Yes" The man replied in a robotic tone

"Yes what?" Klaus asked as he walked closer towards the man

"Master" The man quickly replied in correction

"Good" Klaus replied "You seem like a well to do man...do you have children?" he then asked

"No" The man replied to his Masters question

"Any bit of family?" Klaus asked

"No" The man replied as Klaus took a moment to think as he could believe that a man such as the one before him didn't have a family to belong to

"...it's all a bit rubbish. The family bit" Klaus shrugged "What's your name old chap?" he then asked after a few moments of silence

"Robert Hanson" Robert replied

"Sounds decent. You sound like a decent man" Klaus told him

* * *

Eagerly jotting down notes, Caroline felt as if the professor was speaking at warped speed just so he could see her hand burn off. Out of the corner of her eye, Caroline noticed that her other classmates managed a bit better than she was with the notes. Sighing in frustrations, Caroline honkered down and attempted to get the rest of the notes. Just as she finally found a steady rhythm to note taking before the professor dismissed the class. Hanging her head in defeat as he classmates shuffled out of the class, Caroline reluctantly got up from her seat to head out behind her peers. Turning the corner, Caroline was immediately grabbed by her arm as she was pulled off into the corner of the hallway. Becoming frantic with the sudden change, Caroline prepared to fight before realizing that it was none other than a Salvatore that tore her from her reality. Damon Salvatore to be exact.

"Seriously?" Caroline asked as she adjusted her bag

"What happened to our agreement?" Damon asked immediatley right after her response

"You mean our Klaus agreement. Yeah, that didn't pan out like you thought. I went, he slammed the door in my face. Guess he doesn't fancy me like you thought" Caroline replied as she attempted to walk away but Damon's grip wouldn't allow her to do so

"What did he do?" Damon asked

"Ouch!" Caroline exclaimed before she ripped her arm away from his grip "He slammed the door in my face as I told you" she replied

"Look, I get that your trying to live out this normal life. Really, I do. But I need you to committ to this because lives depend on you, lives Caroline. You're like the Superman in this scenario, where you don't have time to factor in high school love, you have to get the job done" Damon told her

"Easy for you to say, you're with Elena. You guys get to explore whatever it is you have. I want to have a relationship with a guy I happen to be in love with" Caroline stated

"Yes, stating it won't make it come to life" Damon replied

"What's that supposed to mean?" Caroline asked

"You're missing the point" Damon groaned

"I get the point, the point is that I once again become the sacrificial lamb of the group" Caroline replied

"You become the sacrificial lamb because you're the only one that can accept the reality. Reality sucks, but you deal. Elena likes to wish a reality situation to life, while Bonnie sulks about how crappy her reality is. You're the only one that can do what is best because it just is" Damon told her as Caroline began to let it all seep in

"He's not the same. He said he was going to kill us all, and he actually seemed like he meant it" Caroline replied

"Klaus spouts out threats all the time, it's foreplay in his mind to killing" Damon replied  
"Fine, I'll work my whatever fancy he has for me" Caroline sighed just as Tyler walked over towards them. Wrapping his arm around Caroline, Tyler kissed her on the cheek before he recognize the awkward silence that came.

"Damon, what are you doing here?" Tyler asked

"Oh, just came by to take in the...yeah, I'm about to spout out bullshit right now. Do as we discussed, and report back later" Damon said in usual Damon self before he walked off

"What was that about? Do as we discussed?" Tyler asked in confusion

"Look, I really want to tell you, and I will, but I have to take care of something right now" Caroline said as she quickly gave Tyler a kiss before backing away.

* * *

Pulling into the winding driveway, Caroline almost felt as if she were showing up to a celebrities mansion as opposed to a mass serial killer. To the average person, Klaus could appear charming, but Caroline knew that was amongst his many powers of persuasion. Turning the engine off, Caroline gripped onto the steering wheel as she mentally had to prepare herself to endure Klaus's flirtation and gazes because it was more than apparent that he went beyond fancy when it came to her. Getting out the car, Caroline hesistantly headed up the steps before she took yet another breath to gather herself. Knocking to where it seemed like she was pounding on the door, Caroline wiped her hands on her jeans as she felt like any aspect of Klaus could leave her disgusted. Opening the door to her surprise, Caroline was surprised to see a middle aged man answer the door.

"How may I help you?" The man asked

"Uh...where is Klaus?" Caroline asked as she peeked inside of the mansion

"Master?" The man asked

"Master?...okay, clearly he's done something here. Can you find me your master as you call him?" Caroline asked as she had a nagging feeling that Klaus was up to something and like clock work Klaus came down the staircase. Bypassing the man as she headed into the house to walk over towards Klaus

"The master did not summon you" The man scurried behind

"The master fancies me, I think I'm good" Caroline quickly corrected him before turning her attention back towards Klaus "What is this? you're trapping people in your house now?" she questioned

"Leave" Klaus muttered as he flopped down on the sofa with his sketch pad in hand

"I'm not leaving" Caroline replied before Klaus turned to look at her, determining whether he should use his powers to make her leave "I stopped by to see you the other day..." she began to say

"Because you worry about me. Because you just had to see me or because you wanted to see for yourself that you're little spell that your friends conjured up worked?...which one do you like?" Klaus asked as Caroline fidgetted for a bit as to how she should answer

"I wouldn't discredit any of the two in particular, but I was trying to be nice to you" Caroline tried to find a way to play on his emotions "I do care about you" she then added hoping that he would perk up on that. Studying her uncertainty as she spoke, Klaus tossed his sketchpad onto the table before he got up to walk over towards Caroline.

"You're beautiful, you know that" Klaus said as he brought his hand to her face which almost made her cringe but she couldn't show it, at least not to him "You're an artists dream" he told her as he continued to trace the outline of her face

"Have you done anymore art work?" Caroline asked as she ducked away from his touch as she headed over towards his sketch pad "Any more works on me?" she asked nervously

"No, I've been a bit knackered with the spell and all. That tends to bind up my free time" Klaus replied skeptically as he watched her closely

"Oh. I'm dying to see what you've created thus far, you draw my smile like the Mona Lisa" Caroline said as she attempted to bolster his ego

"The Mona Lisa love?" Klaus asked with a bit of laughter as her knowledge on art seemed to be lacking "I suppose her smile was that of great memorization when it came to you" he said playing along with her game and dance.

"Gosh, I'm starved. Do you think I could get something to eat?" Caroline asked as she rubbed her stomach

"Sure thing love" Klaus nodded in agreement not letting his skeptical look go of her before he turned to look on at Robert "Robert, fix us something in the kitchen" he told his latest servant

"Most assuredly" Robert bowed in response before going about his task

"Robert... I see you've found a substitution for Maddox. What's the deal with Robert?" Caroline asked

"The deal? what deal do you speak of?" Klaus asked

"I mean, how is that a innocent man all of a sudden becomes your man servant?" Caroline asked sternly "I mean it, don't feed me that British crap" she told him

"I found a willing helper. He wanted to help by any means, so I allowed him to do so" Klaus replied so casually as he took his seat on the sofa once more as he began to relax

"Basically you compelled him" Caroline concluded

"Something wrong love? I mean I thought you'd be okay with that since you...care so much" Klaus said as a smirk slowly came to his face. An eery silence came between them as Caroline was unsure of if she should stay or run because with Klaus she was never quite sure of how his mind worked. "Come, the food should be ready" he smiled as he got up from his seat before he extended his hand out to her.

* * *

Typically Caroline would see a lunch that consisted of hamburger and fries, but with Klaus she saw that a rack of lamb with poached potatoes was on the menu for them. Poking at her food, Caroline much preferred her usual hamburger and fries, but wanted to make an attempt. Glancing over at Klaus as he saw nothing wrong with his meal, Klaus chomped away at his lamb as if he were tearing at a prey. Not much had been said between the pair as they made slight conversatoin in between passing glances, but nothing that sparked interesting conversation. Leaning back in his chair, Klaus put his fork and knife down as Robert hesistated on whether he should retrieve the plates or not. Forcing a smile on her face, Caroline faked that her appetite had been more than quenched as she wiped the corners of her mouth.

"That was...good" Caroline smiled

"You sure. You didn't touch a thing" Klaus said as he leaned over to look at her plate

"I did, I just didn't want to ruin my appetitie for dinner tonight. Mom is making meatloaf, my fave" Caroline replied

"Not a fan of the finer things, are you?...which is to be expected" Klaus laughed to himself

"I love what you chose, my hunger wasn't as great as I suspected" Caroline replied

"Let me guess, you thought I'd serve up a nice meat burger with cheese with sliced potatoes?" Klaus asked

"Also known as hamburger and fries" Caroline replied "I don't think most people eat a rack of lamb and poached anything at noon" she stated

"Simple minded people" Klaus quickly replied as Caroline wasn't quite sure why food was agitating the vampire

"If you want me to eat, then I'll eat" Caroline replied as Klaus picked up his knife. Looking on at his knife with great fascination, as if he were entertaining the idea of using it for harm.

"A knife is a good weapon...very under rated when it comes to your other source of weaponry" Klaus replied in a trance like state "But a knife can serve the purpose all the same" he told her

"I choose not to look at a knife that way. I see them as handy for cutting meat or staying away from all together" Caroline replied nervously

"Once again Caroline, simple minded thoughts" Klaus told her in a demanding tone that caused her feel even more unsettled "A vampire depends on few things to kill or hunt. We hunt off our want for blood, forgetting that our want doesn't serve the need. We're very much creatures or beasts because a beast has no real boundraries. To kill and to be skilled in doing so, you have to seperate the want from the need" he told her "Take my want as an example, I want my doppleganger to relieve this curse...but now I just need to kill her. I need to pull every bit of flesh from her body...do you know what the body looks like when the skin his delicately peeled off a persons body?" he then asked as he tore his attention away from the knife

"Why are you doing this?" Caroline asked breaking her role of being in control

"Doing what?...you care about me, remember" Klaus replied "Your words love" he said as he began to play with the knife in a skilled seductive manner

"She's my best friend, how do you expect me to answer that" Caroline replied

"It's a simple question" Klaus replied angrily as he slammed his hand on the table

"I don't know!" Caroline replied

"...I wouldn't expect you to. You're caught up in the mundane tasks of dresses and shagging your brains out like the rest of your insipid peers" Klaus huffed as he got up from his seat "Well I'll tell you...the body is nothing but pink meat. The very meat that you crave as a noon snack is the very meat you can be carved into. So tell me, if I were to carve of every bit of Elena's skin, down to her...pink meat, do you think she'd scream?" he asked in a menacing voice

"You're twisted" Caroline replied before Klaus brought his finger up to his mouth to motion to hush her

"It's a thought that goes beyond simplicity" Klaus told her "I mean now that I've been placed and locked away in my fortress, all I can seem to think about is ways I can torturously kill each and every one of your friends. I mean I'm the monster in this, this is what you've crucified me for. Is it not!" he then yelled "You did this, you put me in this place" he reasoned "So now, I'm just expressing myself...do you even know what I would do to Bonnie. I mean the witch, she's got...she's got something that peaks my imagination because she seems to be one that can spark my true imagination. I'm thinking two knives, crusifiction style to her hands..." he began to say before Caroline quickly rose to her feet

"Stop it!" Caroline yelled as she couldn't seem to manage her own strength as she noticed she had broken the arm off the chair "Stop, I didn't come here to listen to this" she told him

"No, you came because you were instructed. This rouse, this care you all of sudden have for me, it's all an act" Klaus yelled in response "So do not insult my intelligence by playing on my feelings because I can tell you now, a man confined is a man left with his thoughts, and oh how I've killed you in my dreams" he told her "Your treachury makes you less desirable by any means, so don't flatter yourself with my like of you" he added

"You're a monster, what did you expect!" Caroline replied "All you do is hurt people, that's your sick thrill and it's quite pathtic if you asked me" she told him "Why should I show loyalty to you, when you seem so willing to kill the people I care about" she said as felt a surge go through his body that caused him to hunch over as his breathing once again picked up. Groaning out loudly, Klaus screamed out as he covered his ears trying to block the noise. Looking on at Klaus in horror, Caroline had no clue as to what was going on with him. Numerous times she had seen Tyler turn but this appeared to be different, this appeared to be something she hadn't seem before.

"Go" Klaus breathed out barely as he grabbed his chest

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked as she looked at him

"Go! Leave me the hell alone!" Klaus yelled as he slammed the table causing it to breaking into two by the force

"Klaus..." Caroline began to say

"Get the hell out of here" Klaus said as took one of the broken halves of the table to sling across the room so effortlessy before he once again held his hand to his chest. Screaming out in pain, Robert quickly appeared as he tended to his Master with much concern

"Master" Robert said as he kneeled down beside Klaus while Caroline slowly backed away until she eventually left. Breathing became harder to do as Klaus found that movement only worked against him. The noise rang loud in his ear as if it were appearing to burst any bit of his eardrums that he had. Cold sweats turned into puddles of water on his shirt.

"Take me to my room" Klaus said between breaths "Close the curtains, I want no light" he continued to force himself to speak as Robert gathered his master up, preparing to take him to his desired location that he spoke of.

* * *

Immediately rushing into her house, Caroline couldn't manage to shake her visit with Klaus as she wasn't quite sure what just happened. In a matter of seconds, Klaus had taken her from feeling like she was in control to taking every bit of control away from. He knew, Klaus knew that she was playing him or at least trying to, but he saw right through it. Racing up the staircase, Caroline threw her bag onto the bed before she began to pace the floor nervously as she just couldn't shake it. Damon had to do this, he'd have to find another way to handle Klaus because there was no way she could was all Caroline thought before she finally had a moment but found that she wasn't alone in her room like she had thought.

"Hey" Tyler said a bit confused as to what was going on with her

"You scared me" Caroline replied nearly out of breath "What are you doing here?" she asked

"I thought I'd come by to see my girlfriend, but apparently you don't want to see me" Tyler replied

"I do, I just...I just came from an intense whatever with Klaus, and I'm kind of freaked out..." Caroline began to say

"Wait, what? with Klaus? why were you seeing Klaus?" Tyler asked

"Tyler, it's a long story..." Caroline said

"It always is" Tyler laughed "Was this what Damon and you talked about today?" he asked

"Yes, but..." Caroline began to say

"I've heard enough" Tyler replied as he grabbed his jacket and began to walk towards the door but Caroline stepped in front of him "Get out of my way" he told her

"It's not what you think" Caroline told him

"I think you withheld the truth, so yeah, it's what I think" Tyler replied before brushed past Caroline to head out of her room.

* * *

The darkness filled the room as Klaus crouched down in the corner of his room with blanket covered over him. Gnawing furiously at his chest, Klaus looked on at the blood thatwas on his hands as he struggled to figure out what was going on with him. In his mind, Klaus was sure that he knew what the boundrary spell consisted of due to his recount of it in his early stages, but what surged through his body left him befuddled in more ways than one. In and out, Robert continued to check on him as if he genuinely cared. Klaus wanted to believe that he did care, but he knew that without being compelled, Klaus was sure that he would flee. In the darkness, Klaus felt comfortable. Klaus felt as if he didn't have to be the villain he needed to be or was casted to be in the light.

"Do you need anything master?" Robert asked as he hesistantly made his way into the room

"What I need, no one can give me" Klaus muttered as he clenched on tight to the cloth of his blanket

"What do you mean master?" Robert asked as he walked towards Klaus

"Don't call me that...call me Klaus, but don't call me that" Klaus said in between sniffles

"Klaus" Robert said as he tried out the new name that he were to call

"The name sounds nice on the tongue, but spoken to anyone else it'd be a means of disgust" Klaus replied as he grimaced from the surge of pain that he once again led to him clawing at his chest "The voices, the screams...I keep hearing them. I just want it to stop. I want it to stop" he said as tears welled up in his eyes while rocking back and forth. Fresh blood collected on top of the layer of dry blood, Klaus gnawed until he screamed out in pain.

"You're heart won't be able to take that" Robert said as he looked on at the wound that formed on his chest before Klaus looked down at the wound

"It's nothing" Klaus replied as he covered himself

"You're clawing like your trying to get to burried treasure" Robert smiled weirdly to Klaus

"Go" Klaus replied weirdly as Robert quicly realized he had frightened his one time master before he obliged Klaus's wishes. Making his way out of the room, Robert made sure to close the door behind him as he left Klaus to his darkness. Taking a deep breath in and out, Klaus was glad to see that he had survived the worst of the day. Now all he had to do was figured out what it was that they had done to him. Rising to his feet, Klaus peeked out at the moonlight to see a bit of a reflection in the pond out back from the moonlight. Finding some bit of comfort in the glow of the moonlight, Klaus saw that as the only bit of light that he could enjoy as everything else seemed so difficult to manage. His family had left, he was once again the lone person in what was suppose to be a family fight. It had been clear that Damon and Stefan were determined to go against their kind, but out of the Originals that were supposed to be feared, Klaus felt as if he was the real abomination of the entire race and he had years of Mikaels torment to know that as a fact in this very moment. Trapped with his thoughts, Klaus began to feel in tune with himself like he had never before. It all began to feel like the weighing of past actions made him resort to empathy, a feeling he knew nothing about until now and in that moment he knew. Placing his hand over his open wound, Klaus began to entertain the possibility of him retrieving something he had long been without, his soul.

* * *

**Author's Note: So I hope you guys liked the chapter. I wanted to explain the fact that Klaus doesn't actually want to kill Caroline, but he's just taking out his frustrations on her since she's close enough for him to vent. Klaus's main struggle is that he has no loyalty from his inner circle. Then with the soul, I'm pretty sure you all are thinking of a certain vamp that had a bit of soul issue, *hint, Spike, *hint. It's not going to be a copy version of his storyline, but it will allow Klaus to change.**


	3. Coming to My Conclusion

**MONSTER**

**Chapter Three- Coming to My Conclusion**

* * *

Gripping on tight to the side of the sink, Klaus did all he could to keep his balance but found the spells of voices to be a bit of task to get through. It had been two days from his discovery that was merely just a thought he'd entertain, but Klaus found ways to talk himself in and out of it. On the moments he felt brave, Klaus would lock himself away in the bathroom with the covers tossed away from his half naked body as he needed that reminder to see that soul could be present. Like clockwork, the voices and screams came, ripping every shred of him up, Klaus did all that he could to last longer than he did the moments before. Just as he thought he'd be able to survive, Klaus gripped on to the sides of the sink just seeking some bit of a relief from the torture. Looking on at himself in the mirror, Klaus quickly punched the mirror as it shattered into pieces as yet another layer of blood collected on his hand. Hearing Robert call for him from downstairs, Klaus growled in frustration as he had no appreciation of being yelled after like some commoner. Opening the door to his bedroom, Klaus was caught off guard to find Caroline standing on the other side of his bedroom door.

"Good morning sunshine" Caroline smiled as she held up a white bag that contained muffins and a glass of blood before she just made her way inside of the bedroom to take a seat on his bed.

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to leave me alone" Klaus questioned

"You did, but then I remembered that I don't care what you want" Caroline replied as she crossed her legs "You were right the other day, I don't care about you. I care about my friends, and you seem to have little regard to how you spend your time in this mansion…which is luxury, not hell. You dream of killing my friends, well I'm here to be the nightmare you need to snap out of that dream" she told him as they looked at each other in a stand still type of moment.

"You don't play the villain well sweetheart. You should leave it to the real baddies of the town, now please…leave" Klaus told her

"I'm not trying to be the villain, I'm the person that will watch you like a hawk because you're not to be trusted" Caroline said "Hmm, never took you for the briefs type" she said as she noticed his bedroom attire.

"Not to be trusted?" Klaus laughed to himself "What am I really capable of?" he asked

"I'm not stupid…" Caroline began to say

"And yet you think Mona Lisa smiled in that picture" Klaus replied

"Besides the point. You're stuck with me, I don't view this as a dream task but it's one that I will do until your dead and gone" Caroline told him

"Is that all love?" Klaus asked after a few moments

"I guess, I mean I covered my threat, then I covered the fact that I could care less about you for the obvious reasons. I would say that's about all" Caroline said as she rose from her seat to put the muffin and blood down "Eat up, you'll need your strength for the day" she said as she walked over towards the door just as Robert appeared in the door way

"She's too fast" Robert breathed as Klaus frowned at him

"You could've compelled better" Caroline commented on her way out so casually as Klaus couldn't help but perk up after her absence

"Do you fancy her?" Robert asked after a few moments

"…not at the moment" Klaus replied "How well do you know Mystic Falls?" he then asked with much intrigued

"Lived here my whole life. My great ancestors were a part of this very foundation that help create this great town" Robert smiled so proudly

"Good, that's nice to know" Klaus smiled "I need you to look up some things for me, involving this great town of ours that date back to our ancestors" he said

"Most assuredly" Robert said as his sole purpose now was to serve Klaus

"I smell fear, and I'm about to figure out why" Klaus smirked before his senses were soon eroded by the smell of the blood that was in the cup that Caroline had left behind for him. Picking up the cup, Klaus sniffed the blood knowing that he'd have to have some to make it through the day. Fighting the urge to puke, Klaus mustered up enough courage to swallow down the cup. Gulping the blood as he went smoothly down his throat, Klaus did all that he could to stop himself from throwing up as he hunched over in a fit of coughs.

"Are you okay?" Robert asked in fear for his master

"I will be" Klaus replied as he sauntered off into the restroom.

* * *

Sitting out in the courtyard of the college campus, Caroline busied herself with texting between Bonnie and Elena as she waited for Tyler to come out of his classes. Letting out a sigh, Caroline looked around at her fellow peers as she could only imagine the lives they each individually led. Maybe someone else was dealing with finding their own truths? Maybe someone had a crush on a boy, but had no idea on how to tell him? Maybe someone was dealing with the loss of a loved one? Maybe someone was dealing with a possible gaining of a life? Caroline thought as she just sat in contemplation. Hearing the familiar sound of his laughter, Caroline looked over to see Tyler walking with a few of the guys from the football team as they engaged in laughter. Getting up from her seat, Caroline hesitantly walked over towards Tyler as he soon noticed her coming his way. Breaking away from the group, Tyler gave a quick confirmation to the guys before he eventually walked over towards his girlfriend.

"You've been hard to reach" Caroline said breaking the silence between them

"I haven't been in the need to be reached" Tyler shrugged

"Tyler I'm sorry" Caroline then replied "It was something I wasn't even sure about, I just did it by force of habit" she reasoned

"Force of habit? So Klaus is now a habit for you now?" Tyler asked

"No, you know what I mean. Look, I'm just trying to help Elena out. We're this close to getting our lives back, and he's the only thing making it damn near impossible to do so" Caroline told him

"Don't get me wrong, I love Elena, but I'm so sick of our lives having to evolve around her" Tyler said "I want to have one day without having to sacrifice of Elena. Why can't Damon be the sacrificial lamb?" he asked

"Because you know why" Caroline replied as she understood his frustrations that he had towards the situation

"I know you don't have feelings for him, but knowing that he has feelings for you….that's what gets to me" Tyler told her

"Doesn't mean anything" Caroline quickly replied

"It does, whether we admit that or not. Klaus is persistent, he doesn't stop until he gets what he wants" Tyler told her

"So what? You think I'm just going to fall into his arms like some ditz because he can draw a pretty picture. I would hope you had enough faith in me to know I wouldn't do that especially with Klaus of all people" Caroline replied

"I know" Tyler sighed as he ran his hand through his hair

"Look, we both want the same thing. We want to be as normal as we possibly can, I mean this is the reason why we came here to begin with…we can still have that normal together" Caroline said as she grabbed onto his hand

"I don't like this plan, the Klaus plan" Tyler told her

"I know, but you have to trust me in this. Trust that I will be able to help my friends while we figure out once and for all how to get Klaus out of our lives" Caroline told him

"Yeah, I suppose" Tyler replied "So I think I have an idea on how we can achieve this normal" he then suggested

"Let me guess, a romantic evening together. Dinner and a movie" Caroline smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck

"Uh, something to that effect. A few of the guys from the team are throwing a party on the lake front" Tyler smiled

"A party? How is that normal?" Caroline asked

"How is it not" Tyler questioned "It'll be a chance for us to remind ourselves that we're eighteen and that we don't have to save the face of mankind every minute of the day" he smiled

"But I was hoping we could have some alone time" Caroline pouted

"We will. I just want to show you off to the rest of the student body that don't know I'm taken. A guy like me, on the football team, I'm bound to get suitors coming my way" Tyler teased

"Well in that case, we should definitely go to this party" Caroline replied as she leaned in to kiss him.

* * *

Looking down at his feet, Klaus slowly inched his feet forward as he tested the boundary in which his family's land stopped. Anticipation weighed heavily with each movement that he made as his first experience with the spell had caused him to get burned once before. Feeling the trepidation from Robert as he looked on from behind, Klaus couldn't help feel like he was carrying the weight of his fears along with Robert. The breeze of the day had only enabled him to think of the possible kills he could have of the ignorant humans that pranced about, Klaus wanted so desperately to prove his earlier theory right. It wasn't possible for him to have a soul, not when he needed to kill. Hearing Robert begin to whimper, Klaus quickly turned to face the middle aged man.

"Oh bloody hell! We'll you stop getting your knickers in a twist" Klaus growled angrily

"I'm sorry. I'm nervous for you master" Robert reasoned

"Don't call me that" Klaus replied in correction

"Klaus, my correction. I'm sorry" Robert then said "It's just…if you are this Original…" he began to say

"I am this so called Original" Klaus stated "I'm the Original" he added

"Then why risk your life by trying to escape. I happen to think your flat is a fancy to the eye" Robert replied try to show off his own british slang he had picked up along the way

"You researched, you told me that updated version of town maps had my family's land extended, did you not?" Klaus asked

"Yes, but I'm not completely sure" Robert replied

"How are you not completely sure? You had the soddin' papers in front of you!" Klaus replied

"Because it all goes together, it's a bunch of squigglies on parchment" Robert fumbled through his words

"Well my family spread out. It could've been the lands we conquered…" Klaus reasoned

"Or it could've been lands seized, but written under acting authority" Robert told him

"So you think these papers aren't legit?" Klaus asked "Is that what you're telling me old man?" he asked yet again

"Possibly" Robert agreed as Klaus turned back to look down at his feet

"No, they're plan has a flaw. Any Damon plan has an underlying flaw somewhere in it" Klaus said as he tried to talk himself up to take the challenge to cross the boundary

"But is it worth it?" Robert asked

"Yes!" Klaus groaned "If I want to kill them, I have to get to them. I need to get in their heads" he sighed in frustration

"Then we find another way" Robert suggested

"No, I need to do this" Klaus replied "She may play all big and bad, but they're hiding something, she's not that good of an actress" he said as he once again prepared himself

"The lady? What's her name by the way?" Robert asked

"I'm not going to talk about the girl, I need to focus on one thing at a time" Klaus replied as he attempted to move past the known boundary and within a blink of an eye, Klaus found his hand burst into flames. Falling to the floor, Klaus rolled around furiously trying to put out flames while spouting out curse words. Robert took his coat off and began to pat Klaus's hand as he did his best to help the situation. Finally taming the flames, Klaus's breathing began to settle.

"Maybe we should leave this be for another time" Robert said nearly out of breath

"No, I'm going to figure this out!" Klaus growled after a few moments of heavy breathing before he surged forward. Standing in a fit of rage, Klaus gripped his hands tight before he turned back to see Robert looking at him in astonishment. Knowing that he had turned into his vampire form, Klaus figured that Robert was frightened by the sight but it was the fact that Klaus had surpassed the boundary with no repercussions like the moment before.

"You did it, you figured it out" Robert said as his excitement began to show

* * *

Dressed up in his usual clothing that resembled that he wasn't the slightest bit of okay, Klaus sat in the study just flipping through the numerous pages of his book that he was set on reading. Knowing that Caroline had bought into the Scooby system and would loyally oblige her task, Klaus waited until she showed as he wanted to give the notion that things were from when she came over this morning. Normally Klaus would've been elated to be within her presence, but with the enemies lines had been drawn and he had to fend for himself since he was the loner. Robert had served as a faithful servant to him, but Klaus still couldn't take the chance of leaving any stone unturned. Hearing the door open, Klaus straightened up and took on his role of the angry Original that was stuck in his mansion as he heard Caroline being escorted to where he was by Robert.

"What do you want?" Klaus groaned "You know, I prefer the days you detested me as opposed to your numerous visits" he said as he flipped through the pages of his book

"Reading, that seems less serial killish" Caroline noticed of his past time activities

"I wouldn't think much of it, How to Kill Without Pain would be the title of said book" Klaus replied as he read intently. Leaning over to look at the book, Caroline quickly grabbed the book away from him

"What is wrong with you?" Caroline asked as she shouted at him before he quickly popped up from his seat to walk over towards his bookcase

"I have thousands upon thousands of literary masterpeices, you can not stop me from the inevitable. Though if you play your cards nicely, I might kill you last" Klaus smirked

"Damon was right" Caroline laughed to herself "The word kill is like your foreplay to everything. How many times will you say it? it's getting to the point where it's less believable. 'I'll kill you slowly and torturously' 'I'll snap your neck' 'I'll skin your body with a knife because meat is pink', I mean can we come up with something original?" she asked as she sighed in boredom with the topic of conversation

"You shouldn't test me love, I've been known to have a bad temper" Klaus said in a soft voice as he didn't find it funny that she was now mocking him

"Or you'll do what?" Caroline asked as she moved closer towards him so that they were mere inches apart

"The big girl role doesn't suit you" Klaus replied as he attempted to caress her cheek before she slapped his hand away

"Don't touch me" Caroline told him "Do yourself a favor, and enjoy the oversized mansion you live in because there's no way in hell that you're leaving this house. You've been defanged if that's even possible, you're days of killing is over" she told him

"How is Tyler doing these days?" Klaus asked switching the conversation over towards something that was sure to agitate her

"You can't hurt him. So whatever control you think you have over him, it's over. Tyler isn't sired to you any longer" Caroline told him

"Good for him. Now he can be your little bitch" Klaus smiled before Caroline slapped him across the face

"Have a nice day in your fortress of darkness" Caroline told him so coldly before she walked away leaving him to tend to his face. Hearing the door close behind her once she had left, Klaus slowly made his way out of the study to where Robert was cleaning.

"I'm going out, there'll be no need for dinner tonight...I'll grab a few bites to eat on my way out" Klaus smirked before he walked over to grab his coat on his way out.

* * *

The music rang loudly in her ears as she made her way through the crowd of people. Originally she had showed up with Tyler, but found that his interests had turned to beer pong with his teammates on the football team. For the most part, Caroline was okay with it but that was only because she figured that Tyler would squeeze in that personal time for them. It had been different scenery from what she was used to since the average high school party wasn't that intense, but a college party took on a new meaning of wild and intense. Girls seemed to be more willing to guys than she had anticipated, that her a bit put off from the get go as she was quickly learning that this wasn't her type of scene. Texting Elena throughout the night, Caroline was glad to see that her friend had showed up and was waiting outside for her. Making her way out of the frat house that had been used for the beer fest, Caroline made a quick bee line towards Elena.

"Thank you for coming" Caroline told her friend as she joined Elena in sitting up against the car

"So this was your idea of fun?" Elena asked with a bit of laughter "This looks…insane" she laughed

"It is. I've seen things that I only existed in internet porn" Caroline replied

"And this is where Tyler wanted to go?" Elena questioned

"This is where he wanted to go" Caroline replied "I opted for a romantic dinner and movie, but we're in Project X come to life" she sighed

"So why didn't you tell him that?" Elena asked

"Because I was compromising, that's what you do in a relationship, you compromise" Caroline replied

"Yes, but this is crazy" Elena said "I've only imagined what frat parties would be like, now I can rest assure that they're nothing like my imagination" she said

"What were you doing before I pulled you away?" Caroline asked

"Hanging out with Damon" Elena muttered under her breath

"Really?" Caroline asked in a teasing manner "What exactly does hanging out with Damon consist of?…please tell me you guys weren't at the mansion where Stefan is sure to be brooding" she then asked

"No, we were at my house" Elena replied

"That's great, so go where a child can hear you" Caroline teased

"Jer wasn't there, and we weren't doing that. We were just watching television and just talking" Elena said

"Damon wreaks of sex, that seems to be on his mind all the time" Caroline told her

"He's not like that with me. Sex isn't key to a relationship" Elena replied

"I'm aware of that, but it does spark it every once and a while" Caroline told her

"That it does, but a relationship is about getting the heart of what you want" Elena said "With Damon, I'm fearless…I'm becoming the girl I want to be, and I was never like that in my other relationships. He's a challenge, but I like not being diluted with the fact that we might be together forever or not, I like being in the now in the relationship" she explained

"Wow, I think I just teared up there for a moment" Caroline smiled

"I'm being serious. If this isn't what you want, then tell him" Elena said "The sooner you realize that you can't change someone into who you want them to be, then you might be surprised at the person they all ready are" she told her

"I kind of had to compromise on this one" Caroline muttered

"Why?" Elena asked as Caroline seemed to forget that she was that close to her friend

"Oh, I just meant that…it's because of all the attention I've been putting towards you" Caroline said knowing that probably made things worse

"Your problems are because of me?" Elena asked feeling immediate guilt

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I meant it like…we always have stuff to deal with so we've lost track on our relationship. Tyler knows my friends are important to me, he just wants to feel important as well" Caroline reasoned before Caroline's phone began to ring "Maybe this Tyler" she sighed as she pulled her phone out to see that it was Damon on her caller identification

"Is it him?" Elena asked

"Yeah" Caroline replied nervously before she stepped away to answer the phone "I know, I know. You blame me for ruining your night with Elena, but you should see this catastrophe of a party…" she babbled

"I could care less about the party. You need to get back on duty" Damon replied

"What? No, I'm with Tyler tonight" Caroline replied

"Are you currently with him or are you talking with Elena?" Damon asked as Caroline hated that Damon guessed it right on

"What? Why do I need to go back on Klaus duty? He's stowed away dreaming up how to kill all of us, sounds normal for him" Caroline sighed

"Because he's actually killing people" Damon replied as Caroline turned back to look at Elena

"I thought the spell would hold?" Caroline asked "What can I do if he's killing people?" she asked

"Something, but you need to find him. I'm covering town square, Stefan is covering the popular areas that are people filled" Damon replied

"Fine, but it won't be easy hiding this from Elena much longer" Caroline told him

"I'll deal with that, but we need to stop him first" Damon said before he hung up the phone. Turning back to walk towards Elena, Caroline began to wonder what she should say to Elena as it was clear that she had to leave to go find Klaus.

"Did he say where he was?" Elena asked

"That wasn't Tyler. It was actually my mom, she wants me to go by the house to fix something" Caroline lied

"Fix something? Why'd you say it was Tyler then?" Elena asked

"I guess I wanted it to be him. Look, do you think you could look after Tyler. Just in case he gets all crazy, call Bonnie, I'm sure she'll meet up with you" Caroline said as she slowly backed away

"But where do I find him?" Elena asked as she called out to Caroline

"He's in there, just go to where the abundance of beer is" Caroline said before she quickly sped off. Stopping off in the middle of the abandoned road, Caroline stopped for a moment to figure out where exactly she should look. Damon and Stefan were sure to take the obvious areas, but Caroline felt like Klaus was too smart to linger in one spot too long. Though Stefan knew Klaus quite well, Caroline felt as if she could tap into how Klaus or even Nikolaus would think. Finally coming to her conclusion, Caroline wasted no time as she knew that time was of the essence.

* * *

Arriving at her chosen location, Caroline looked around nervously as she wasn't quite sure what she should be looking for. At the backhouse that was merely a few feet off of his property, Caroline began to feel like the obvious to her was becoming the wrong choice. Remembering the studio that Klaus had showed her once, Caroline remembered how much he loved to be in the space as it served as the art studio he always wanted. Deep down, Klaus was a true artist that would scribble anywhere from his room to the living room if he felt the urge to, but she knew this was the place he felt most comfortable in. Hearing a bit of sounds come from the corner of the room, Caroline quickly stopped walking before she reached out to grab the nearest object close to her in case he had planned to attack. Slowly walking up, Caroline peeked over the table to see Klaus huddled up in the corner. Trembling like a little kid hiding from the boogey monster, Klaus hid his face in between his legs as they were brought up to chest. Blood covered his hair from the obvious blood that was on his hands. Standing back in horror, Caroline felt like she was witnessing a complete opposite of what she was seeing of him the last time she had stopped by to see him. Kneeling down towards him, Klaus began to fidget as he could feel her eyes staring at him, which exposed the blood that dripped from his mouth from his earlier kills.

"I'm not going to hurt you" Caroline said as she struggled to find the words to say as she herself was freaked out

"Of course you wouldn't, you'd be stupid to. I hurt you. That's how it works, I get urge and I kill…I kill, I'm supposed to" Klaus muttered in some crazy roundabout way

"What are you talking about?" Caroline asked

"Just sod off, go!" Klaus yelled as he tried to get up but found the surge go through his body that crippled him to his knees. Sobbing, Klaus ran his hands through his hair wildly before he began to claw at his chest

"Stop. Klaus stop" Caroline said as she grabbed on to his hands to stop him before they went into a full on wrestle that she was surprisingly winning. Pinning him up against the wall, Caroline waited until he was calm somewhat before she released her grip of him. Sliding down the wall, Klaus once again fell to his knees as he stared off into space. "How many? How many people did you kill?" she asked

"Hundreds. Thousands. Millions" Klaus muttered

"No, I'm talking about tonight. How many did you kill?" Caroline asked as she kneeled down to look at him at eye level

"….I feel them. I feel each and every last one of them. It's like they're taunting me, killing me with their screams of what I did to them" Klaus told her "I drink their blood, but I feel them…I can see every kill like I was there reliving it all over again" he muttered

"How?" Caroline asked finding that trying to bring Klaus back to reality was pointless when he was off in his own

"Some for protection, then some for…pleasure. I killed because I wanted to, because I could" Klaus cried

"And what? You feel…you feel sorry now?" Caroline asked a bit confused

"I feel Caroline. I don't want to, but I feel…" Klaus told her as Caroline began to think and catch on to what he was saying. Reaching out her hand towards his chest, Caroline pushed away the shirt to see the open wound that was on his chest.

"Oh, my God" Caroline said after a moment of thought "You have your soul back" she breathed

* * *

Slamming the door behind him in frustration, Elena turned around to see Damon and Stefan enter into the mansion. Giving up on finding Tyler back at the frat house, Elena had hoped to catch up with Damon but found that something was clearly going on. Folding her arms, Elena waited to see what they would tell her but she knew that the brother's took their own pace when it came to informing her on things. Pouring himself a glass of bourbon, Damon slipped slowly as he took a moment to think to himself on how things could've gone so badly. Hearing the door open once more, Elena turned her attention away to see that it was Abby and Bonnie heading inside as the Salvatore house was turning into a free for all to all of her friends. Pouring himself yet another glass, Damon felt as if he needed a bit of buzz to endure the possibilities that could lead to Klaus going on a killing spree in the town, and the ways the sheriff was going to come after him for allowing it to happen.

"Don't you think you should slow down?" Elena asked as she looked over at Damon

"I need to be drunk because how Klaus manages to break free and kill a slew of people, I want to be drunk. I need to be drunk to process how bad this is" Damon replied

"Damon" Stefan said giving his brother a look

"Klaus is free?" Elena asked in alarming voice

"Apparently" Damon replied as he didn't want to feed Elena's worries

"I thought the boundary spell was supposed to work and bide us time?" Elena asked

"It did, but he found a way to get around it" Bonnie said

"What happened with the spell?" Damon asked as he put the glass down with still a bit of bourbon in his glass to show that he obliged Elena's wish

"He was in vampire form" Bonnie replied "Maybe he was allowed to leave the premises because of acting counsel back then" she said

"What does that mean?" Elena asked

"The founding families had faulty laws. They changed to fit those in positions of power. Once the Originals came about, they held that power or had inside connections. Laws were often changed such as seizing land as an Original wouldn't exactly make it legally their land but because they had that power, they just granted it to themselves" Stefan explained

"Basically shitty government started long before George Bush" Damon added

"So let me get this straight, Klaus can basically roam about because of illegal documents? That sounds ridiculous" Elena exclaimed

"Only in vampire form though" Abby replied

"So human form, he stays in his pretty mansion. Vampire form, he gets to roam about. Yeah, logic sucks on that one" Damon said

"Is there anything you can do?" Stefan asked just as Caroline headed inside with blood covered all over her body

"Caroline, what happened?" Elena asked alarmingly as she walked over towards her friend

"I'm fine. I'm fine" Caroline replied "I found him" she then stated

"Klaus?" Stefan asked

"Yes" Caroline replied "He's back at his mansion" she sighed

"Did he try to kill you?" Damon asked with concern "Because apparently he can do that now" he told her

"No, he can't. I mean he can, but not as easy" Caroline replied

"What do you mean?" Damon asked

"Because he has his soul back" Caroline replied as they looked at each other with stunned faces "Klaus won't kill because he can't anymore" she told her friends.

* * *

**Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Caroline and Klaus will have more scenes together, but I had to set up the first couple chapters that will ultimately put them in each other's orbit more frequently. In this chapter, Tyler and Caroline aren't quite on the same page and that will continue to happen.**


	4. Time for Changes

**Monster**

**Chapter Four- Time of Changes**

* * *

It had been a side effect along with the spell that caused Klaus's soul to come back. Abby couldn't exactly explain why it ended up the way it did, but it was still something that worked into their favor. The group had plotted ways on how to handle the situation with Klaus, but Caroline couldn't seem to shake the image of Klaus in his art studio. Scared. Lonely. Confused. Terrified. That was the overwhelming image she had plastered in her mind of Klaus. Listening to her friends talk about how to handle him, Caroline couldn't help but feel like they were discussing him as object that was so simple to toss away. Caroline wanted to partake and suggest ways that didn't involve her ever seeing Klaus again as this was becoming heavier than ever to be around him, but Caroline just couldn't shake him out of her mind. After getting her marching orders from Damon, Caroline was determined to make her visits with Klaus brief and to the point so that his latest melodrama wouldn't have to take precedence on her life and it all started today.

"Ms. Caroline is here to see you Mr. Klaus" Robert introduced as Caroline looked on to see Klaus dressed down in a robe with his hair messied up as if he hadn't slept in days

"I'm surprised to see you" Klaus sighed as he pushed away his cup of blood while Caroline walked over towards him

"You should drink that, you'll need it" Caroline told him as she noticed the cup of blood had been untouched

"I don't want it" Klaus replied quickly

"It's not what you want, but it's what you need" Caroline replied

"Do you know she was seven" Klaus then blurted out

"Who was?" Caroline asked

"The girl that I killed last week. She was seven, and I killed her. She was walking by herself, scared of the dark…I could tell because she kept looking over her shoulder. I don't know why she held my attention, but she did…and I just pounced on her fears and killed her" Klaus described his latest kill to Caroline that only made her terrified to hear

"Why do you tell me these things?" Caroline asked as she shook her head

"Because it's what I am. You come by day after day, week after week you come here knowing that. Come to relay the news back to the troops, that big bad is the most disgusting vile creature you've ever met" Klaus replied as he reached for his pack of cigarettes

"Since when do you smoke?" Caroline asked

"I don't really, but I figure it'd be the quickest way to kill off" Klaus replied as he lit his cigarette and blew out a cloud of smoke

"You're not human" Caroline replied

"Even when I was human, I wasn't human. So that makes no difference to me" Klaus replied as he got up from his spot on the sofa to reveal the open sore that still remained on his chest. Seeing the sore, Caroline's immediate thought was to tend to it, but she found that helping him would serve no purpose "Robert, you can put the tray away" he said as he put out his cigarette as Robert came in to relieve the tray from his master's presence.

"Since your…existing. My job here is done" Caroline replied before she attempted to leave

"Did you tell them?" Klaus quickly asked as Caroline froze in the very spot she stood

"Yes, I told them" Caroline replied as Klaus stood still for a moment before a laugh escaped them

"Did Stefan get a good laugh? Did he make a snide remark that brought the house down?" Klaus asked with a bit of laughter

"No, we mainly talked about how to deal with you" Caroline told him

"How to deal with me? Isn't it obvious how to deal with me?" Klaus asked her

"At this point, I'm not sure how to deal with you but I don't have time to figure that out. I came to see you, I've done that so now I need to leave. Drink the blood, don't drink the blood, I don't care anymore" Caroline said before she finally left him to the lonesome house he so desperately wanted.

* * *

Coming out of her class, Caroline would've liked to believe that she picked something up out of what was being taught but she knew with what was circling around in her head, nothing would've captivated her attention long enough. The only time she seemingly came out of her thoughts was when she saw the big fat "F" on her midterm exam, which officially meant she was failing her English class. Then there was the fact that Tyler was non-existent in their relationship. On occasion she'd find comfort in the small lunch dates that they'd have, which sometimes ended in sex before football practice for him, but nothing about the state of their relationship left her feeling as secure as she wanted it to be. Walking out into the quad, Caroline walked over towards Tyler like clockwork.

"Hey Babe" Tyler said as he leaned in to kiss her

"Hey" Caroline sighed

"Something wrong?" Tyler asked

"You mean besides the fact that I flunked my English class, and am scrambling to do my history paper" Caroline told him "Besides that, I'm fine" she told him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they walked

"I wouldn't sweat it. I'm sure they'll have extra credit down the line to bring your grade up" Tyler assured her "I was talking to Matt and they're having a party had that frat he's going out for. We should go after the game?" he suggested as Caroline stopped dead in her tracks

"Ty, I have a history paper to write" Caroline told him "I just told you this" she said

"I get that, but stressing over it won't help you in writing it. If you clear your mind then you'll be able to come up with something productive" Tyler smiled

"Productive?" Carolina asked "Productive is writing said paper not pounding back beer bongs. That is not my idea of production" she laughed

"I know, I'm sorry for suggesting it. But I do happen to think that it would be great for us to have fun together" Tyler said

"You can go, I would much rather be with my history book and getting numerous headaches. I won't subject you to that" Caroline sighed

"Are you being serious?" Tyler asked feeling like this was too good to be true

"Yes, I'm being serious" Caroline replied before he twirled her around in his arms

"You are the best girlfriend, ever!" Tyler declared as he spun her around as she just laughed

"Put me down" Caroline protested lightly as he obliged her wishes before linking his hand in hers as they continued to walk

"So I talked to Damon. You might be getting off of Klaus duty sooner than expected" Tyler told her

"Yes, oh how I can't wait for that" Caroline said

"I think Klaus should be easy to kill now that he has a soul. Who knew his big bad image would end like that?" Tyler laughed

"Damon never said anything about killing him" Caroline shrugged

"The whole point of the spell is to kill him" Tyler replied "With the soul, he'll feel all guilty and remorseful that he might even off himself" he said

"But that's a probability, I mean he might not even be a threat now that he has a soul. He may just be a dog with no bark now that he's gained the soul" Caroline reasoned

"Yes, but Klaus is always going to be the villain in all of this. He's created so much hell to all of us that he deserves to die" Tyler said "He dies, then I get you back…full time" he said as he leaned in to kiss her neck

"Ty, c'mon" One of the guys from the football team called out

"Hey, I'll catch up with you tomorrow, but the offer still stands on the party" Tyler told her as he began to release his embrace of her

"I hardly see myself going out tonight" Caroline smiled weakly "Have fun" she sighed

"Thanks. Love you" Tyler said as he ran over towards his friends

* * *

Driving on her way home, Caroline hummed along to a few of her favorite tracks as she sought some bit of comfort from the radio tunes. Reaching out to turn up the volume on her radio, Caroline sung along happily as it was just a song she could pass up without it being sung. Once the song was over, Caroline laughed to herself that she could still manage to be so silly after the day she had. Looking over to the side of the road that she traveled on, Caroline couldn't help but notice Klaus's house sitting off in the distance. She had no intention of stopping by after class because her singular focus had to be on this paper, but Caroline couldn't help but shake the image of how she had seen Klaus last out of her mind. Giving in to her curiosity, Caroline was sure that she would hate herself for being so naïve but she entertained the prospect that if Klaus would kill everyone she knew, she'd at least be last since she visited the most. Pulling up in front of the house like she had time and time before, Caroline was greeted at the door by a frantic Robert.

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked as Robert ran back to the back of house

"He's gone mad" Robert declared as Caroline looked on at Klaus starting up his own version of a sacrificial bon fire

"He hasn't gone mad, he's being over dramatic" Caroline uttered before she scanned the lawn to find the water hose while Klaus lit the fire that quickly went up in a flame. "Get me blankets" she instructed to Robert

"But will that help?" Robert asked

"Get blankets!" Caroline yelled before Robert did as he was told by the blonde as Caroline yanked on the water hose so that she had enough slack "What the hell is your problem!" she yelled as Klaus continued his mission to burn alive.

"I'm becoming my own kamikaze" Klaus declared as he fanned the flames

"You're being a coward!" Caroline replied

"Get out of here! I don't want you here!" Klaus replied as he began to relieve himself of his robe to where he was down to his briefs

"Really, burning to death in your briefs?" Caroline questioned "Just stop this, you're just being dramatic and it's starting to piss me off!" she told him

"What difference does it make to you? You don't care…no one cares! So leave me the hell alone" Klaus replied as he began to feel the heat coming closer to him.

"Why do I even bother with you?" Caroline groaned as she walked over to turn the water on

"I don't know. Maybe you should just piss off then!" Klaus replied as he spread his arms out to welcome the fire

"Maybe I should" Caroline agreed before she sprayed the water on at the fire

"No! No!" Klaus screamed as he tried to strike as many matches as he could but Caroline had managed to shoot them out of his hands "Stop it!" he declared

"No!" Caroline replied as she continued to spray the flame down with the water til it was becoming nonexistent

"Stop it!" Klaus called out in almost tears before he fell to his knees. Putting out the rest of the fire, Caroline made sure every bit of flame was down before she tossed the hose to the side. Seeing Klaus sobbing in the middle of his sacrificial circle, Caroline was unsure if she should feel pity or empathy for him as he seemed like a complete and utter mess as he cried. "Just let me die all ready. I don't want to live in a world with you and your stupid friend in it, mocking me. I don't want you watching me, waiting for my death sentence…" he began to rant

"Oh, Klaus stop it!" Caroline interrupted "You want to play woe is me, then that's fine. But you're not taking a cowards death, that beneath even you" she replied

"You don't know me!" Klaus growled in anger

"No, I don't. This guy, I detest because he's so damn pathetic. At least the old Klaus would've been a cocky jackass to at least put the fear that he'll figure this out and then kill us all" Caroline replied "You're just giving up" she told him without as much as thought

"What world do you live in!….I'm all ready dead!" Klaus declared

"In the vampire sense, yes. But as the pain in my ass that you are, no, you're still very much alive" Caroline told him before he rose to his feet and made a quick bee line towards her to where he was a mere inch away from her face

"You like watching me suffer, don't you?" Klaus asked as he began to bully her

"Get over yourself" Caroline replied as she tried to walk past him

"Then kill me. Do the honors of killing me love" Klaus as he walked over to pull out the white oak dagger from his robe before walking back over towards Caroline "Kill me" he told her

"Stop" Caroline replied as she seemed a bit intrigued by the lengths he was planning to go to

"If you don't do it, I will. I will do this Caroline" Klaus said as he spoke over her

"Stop!" Caroline told him as she tried to push him away but he just kept crowding her

"You don't love me. You don't like me. You don't care for me. I'm the bane to your existence, so just kill me. Get rid of all your problems" Klaus continued to egg her on

"Stop it Klaus!" Caroline said as she hit him in the chest but his strength was able to take the hit. Grabbing on to her arm, Klaus tightened his grip as he pulled her close towards him so that he could feel her breath on his. Every bit of space was non existent between them.

"You like knowing that I'm dying the human death of all things. This is you relishing the kill of what I've done to your insipid boyfriend, isn't this!" Klaus questioned in a low voice as she squirmed in his grip

"No, I don't get off like that" Caroline said before she pushed him to the ground "You may, but I don't" she said as she looked down at him. Feeling the sun begin to set in on her, Caroline retreated back into the house leaving Klaus to sit in confusion.

* * *

Once the night had set in, Caroline looked up from her book to hear complete silence within the mansion. There was no clear cut reason as to why she decided to stay, but Caroline felt as if more harm would've been done if she had left Klaus in this state. For the most part, Caroline figured that if she would've gone home then she would've found some excuse to go to the party with Tyler, so staying was the only way she knew she'd stay on top of her fear and homework. Caroline thought over and over of the proposition of killing Klaus in his weakened state, knowing that his death would only serve for the good of humanity. But for the life of her, having the very object that could kill him instantly within reach, Caroline didn't know why she couldn't go through with the temptation. Robert gleefully whisked about in the kitchen, preparing a feast to where she learned he was a culinary chef in his previous uncompelled life. Finding no possible way of writing this paper to where it would at least earn her a decent grade, Caroline resorted to checking on Klaus as a means to find out what suicide mission he was and distract herself. Heading upstairs towards his room, Caroline peeked in to see that he was sitting in his oversized chair, staring out at the moonlight. Relieved that he wasn't doing something stupid, Caroline stood in the doorway for a while before she attempted to leave unheard.

"Come in" Klaus finally spoke causing Caroline to curse to herself that she didn't leave fast enough "Will you please come in?" he asked as Caroline reluctantly agreed. Walking inside slowly, Caroline took her seat in the other oversize chair before she tentatively got comfortable in her seat.

"See what being less suicidal can do for you" Caroline said after a few moments of silence "Of course your wardrobe is still a bit depressing, but I'm sure it'll be a step a time type of deal" she told him

"You could've gone" Klaus told her as he didn't partake in the upside of how he was acting now

"I could've, but you freaked me out" Caroline hesitantly admitted

"It's who I am. This is what I am, you should accept that" Klaus told her

"I do. I accept what you are, but I guess I'm waiting for you to accept it" Caroline told him

"I do…" Klaus began to say

"No, you don't" Caroline quickly replied "You have a soul. You feel things…" she began to say

"Things I don't want to feel. I don't like having a soul, I've done too much in my life that you can't comprehend…having this soul kills me" Klaus told her

"Maybe, but maybe it will finally teach you how to exist in this world" Caroline told him

"I don't want to exist in this world?" Klaus replied in disbelief "I may have been a pompus ass, but I was a pompus ass that lived. I went to the places I've dreamt of. I've jumped off the ledge to barely survive. I've lived….reducing me into a puddle of water isn't living, it's pathetic" he told her

"It may not sum up the type of life that you led or want to lead, but I just think that dying in the manner you chose, that's not you" Caroline told him "I care about you, not in the way you want, but it's because in some glimmer of interaction we've had, I can see that you could be…" she began to say as Klaus laughed to himself

"Good? You think I can be good?" Klaus asked

"I think you can be, what you choose to be is up to you" Caroline told him before she rose to her feet

"I won't live long. Not like this. You and I both know that Damon will grab the bulls by the horn, and finish me off. So if I exist in this world, it'll only be for a little while" Klaus told her as she just stood still

"Maybe, but I'd hope you'd fight. That'd be the way I know you would've liked to go out" Caroline said "But yet, I don't know you" she said before she left the room. It had been moments after she had left his presence, but Klaus couldn't help but let her words linger in his head a bit longer than intended. Was he a coward? Was he even being the man that he wanted to be until his impending dying days? He began to ask himself as just sat in puddles of thought. He had no one. He knew he had no one. No family. What was there to live for? He asked as he began to tremble with tears flowing down his face. Rising from his feet as he grew impatient with his thoughts, Klaus ran his hand through his hair as he paced back and forth. Glancing towards the very window he looked out of earlier, Klaus walked over slowly to see Caroline walking towards her car. Her every movement. Her every step. Klaus watched her move as if she was the most divine creature on this earth. Watching her go could've been the very death of him, but in this moment he hoped that it ignite the spark he needed to live for just a while longer.

* * *

With her hair tied up in a messy bun, Caroline had powered through her history paper. Sitting on her bed, Caroline sucked on a lollipop as she read over the paper she had bs'd her way through for the most part. Occasionally checking her phone for twitter updates from Matt on what was happening at the frat party, Caroline tried to keep her focus on the paper. The paper was where her head needed to be at. Writing the final sentence to her paper, Caroline put her lap top to the side before she got up from the bed to walk over to her vanity. Looking at the pictures of her friends as their moments seemed to clutter her mirror space, Caroline couldn't help but zero in on the pictures of Tyler. Her heart used to go a flutter when she saw him in his high school lettermen, but maybe that was what stopped the flutters, maybe the high school boy was the one she loved at this point, Caroline thought to herself. Grabbing her cell phone, Caroline got up from her seat as she dialed the number.

"What?" Damon answered a bit annoyed

"You can't kill Klaus" Caroline told him immediately

"Oh, and why not?" Damon asked

"Because of Elijah. He got word that Klaus got his soul back, and now he's doing everything in his power to lift the spell. Klaus is still a loose canon, but I can manage him….but I don't think killing Klaus will do us good now, not unless we want to start an all out war" Caroline lied hoping Damon wouldn't catch on to the lie

"And how do you know this?" Damon asked skeptically

"I'm just doing what you asked. I guess hanging around Klaus gets us the inside connect you wanted" Caroline replied before a silence came between them.

"Good work. Good work" Damon smirked "I'll get to work on a plan for Elijah" he said before he ended the call and just like that, Caroline knew that Damon had bought her lie. Thinking to herself, Caroline wasn't quite sure what she had done, but she knew if she was going to go through with this lie than he was damn sure going to work for it. Saving the work on her lap top, Caroline quickly grabbed her car keys before she fled her room.

* * *

Looking on at the surrounding portraits of his family, Klaus relieved himself of the blanket he had wrapped around his bare chest. Now dressed in jeans, Klaus felt as if the smallest of wardrobe change was a difference in his behavior but still he searched for his strength. His soul enabled him to be as ruthless as he once was, but was he truly happy as the old Klaus that been the cold blooded killer out of all the Originals. Finding out who Nikolaus was seemed to be the true puzzle as the only thing he remembered of that boy was the fact that he lived in complete fear of his step father. Staring on at the pictures, Klaus almost forgot the howl of the wind that become of the night air. Moving closer towards the picture of his mother, Klaus traced the outline of his mother's face as if he could remember a time where that face loved him and didn't frown at the abomination she had thought he had become. Getting lost in the essence of his mother's face, Klaus heard the rustle of a bag as she stepped inside. Turning to look back at the intruder, Klaus seemed a bit more taken a back to see Caroline standing in the door way of his studio.

"Before you even say the token line that has been our phrase, I came because that sore is looking infected. As a vampire we're supposed to heal easily, but that seems to not be the case with that sore" Caroline said as she walked further inside to show the pharmacy bag "I got some stuff from the pharmacy, don't know if it'll work but it's worth a shot" she told him as she walked towards him

"You try to dig deep enough, even supernatural healing can't fix it" Klaus said as he looked on at the nastiness of the sore

"Well it looks disgusting" Caroline replied as she began to pull out her supplies "The sooner that thing goes away, the sooner you'll be able to mope about your current soul status" she said as she stopped herself from just automatically cleaning the wound with the wound cleanser

"Maybe" Klaus replied as he saw her pause for a second

"May I?" Caroline asked as she motioned to clean his chest

"You're not going to kill me?" Klaus asked "I mean I saw your face earlier, and the thought did seem tempting to you" he laughed weakly

"It did, but I'd rather kill you with kindness. Besides, you might find that time may be on your side…so why waste it with this ugly thing on your chest" Caroline said as she began to clean his wound

"Time?" Klaus asked as he looked at her eagerly clean

"You heard me, time. Don't make too much out of it, but just stop the woe is me" Caroline said as she looked at him for a second as they shared a moment together before she once again went back to cleaning his wound.


	5. It's All History

**Author's Note: I hope you all enjoy the chapter. I appreciate all of you that follow the story, and I hope to hear your feedback on it so I know whether to continue or not. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and I look forward to your feedback.**

* * *

**Monster**

**Chapter Five- It's All History**

* * *

Looking at his bandage that she had placed on him the night before, Klaus became tempted to remove the white patches from his body but knew it'd be best to leave them on for healing purposes. Tightening his belt, Klaus reached over to grab his shirt off the bed before he put it on. Feeling a bit of tightness come from the sore spot on his body, Klaus knew that the scab was beginning to form. Though he hadn't felt truly a hundred percent, Klaus felt a bit of relief that he was at least looking like he was okay. Heading downstairs towards the dining area, Klaus could smell the aroma's coming from the kitchen where Robert was hard at work. Grabbing a book from the study, Klaus began to flip through the pages before he found that he was quickly joined by Damon. Not all too surprised to see the dark haired vampire, Klaus laughed to himself in disbelief as he took his seat on the sofa, more than intrigued to hear what Damon had to say.

"You've looked…better" Damon smirked

"Aw Damon, I was beginning to wonder when I would see you again" Klaus replied "Took a ploy such as a spell to hide behind for you to enter my house, but nonetheless; you came" he replied

"I had to see you in your new state" Damon replied "Tell me, has the Notebook gotten to you. I heard it's a real tearjerker" he teased

"I'll be sure to look for that, I could put your corpse beside me for when I detach your head from your body" Klaus smiled

"Careful, I don't want you to feel the guilt of it" Damon laughed "But with all the clever banter we can come up with, I've come for other reasons such as Elijah" he said

"Elijah?" Klaus asked

"Don't play coy. You know exactly what I'm talking about" Damon replied

"In this case, Elijah and I have little to do with each other. You see, my family decided to go elsewhere while I hold the fort down" Klaus said

"All of which will be until their impending return" Damon concluded as a moment of silence came between them.

"Do I sense worry on your part?….what has Elijah conjured up that has got you running with your tail in between your legs?" Klaus asked with a bit of a smirk

"Whatever you and Elijah have cooked up, I'm ready for you" Damon quickly replied

"I don't care what you have cooked up. As for Elijah, I don't control what my family does" Klaus told him as Damon stared at him for a few seconds before he eventually rose to his feet

"I'll be back. Hopefully with stake in hand, you know just in case I decide to kill you" Damon replied

"Give it your best shot. I'm dying for a good tussle" Klaus replied as sat so casually in his seat. Leaving the house, Klaus took a moment to think to himself as it all was starting to make sense to him. Could she have lied? He asked himself with a bit of confusion weighing heavily on his face.

* * *

Tyler had been unreachable. Homecoming in college wasn't exactly the same as it was in high school. Nothing was going right in this conflicted mess that was her life. Her classes weren't going too good because her focus just seemed to drift on to the failing status that she was all ready placed under. If there was ever a time she wanted to blow off steam, it would've been today of all days. Meeting up with Bonnie at a dive bar, Caroline and Bonnie were able to use their fake id's to get the necessary alcohol that they so desperately required to move forward with the crappy day. After a few shots, Bonnie could tell that Caroline was drinking away something rather than just drinking for the hell of it. Not wanting to press to hard, Bonnie relaxed on her drinking before she turned her attention towards her friend. Feeling Bonnie's looks come her direction and knew this was the part they'd have to talk.

"I can feel your eyes" Caroline sighed as she put her shot glass down

"Then you should know I'm worried about you" Bonnie replied

"I'd be worried about me if I were me" Caroline pouted

"What's wrong?" Bonnie asked as she rubbed her Caroline's back for comfort

"School. Boys. School" Caroline stated

"Okay, well let's take one at a time. What's with the school?" Bonnie asked

"I'm failing my English class. My History paper that I worked my ass off on, it earned me a "D" when I needed to pull a B to at least be okay come grades" Caroline told her

"Have you talked to your teachers?" Bonnie asked

"Yes, and she's offering up another extra credit paper. The topic is Influential Women in History" Caroline sighed

"That should be easy" Bonnie stated

"It should, but we have 1500- 1700. So many come to mind" Caroline replied sarcastically

"I'm sure if you buckle down, you'll come up with something. You always do" Bonnie told her

"This is different. College is a different speed that high school, where you could bs anything. I feel like reality is starting to creep in" Caroline sighed

"And I'm guessing this is our transition into the boys topic" Bonnie concluded by Caroline's statement "So what has Tyler done now?" she asked

"Nothing" Caroline replied "I mean literally nothing" she told her friend

"So what's the problem?" Bonnie asked

"I just thought…I thought once we got to college, things would be different. We'd be on this path towards a forever, but now I just feel like we're on two separate paths. Ty likes to party, and I'm barely staying afloat" Caroline said

"Have you told him this?" Bonnie asked

"In not so many words, but he thinks that if we carve out time together then it will all get fixed. Our carved out times always ends with us either avoiding talking about the problem or having sex or going to a party" Caroline said

"And that's making you fear the worst" Bonnie said

"I love him. I know I do, but I'm not even sure what I want anymore. I feel like I'm going through the motions in my life" Caroline said "I feel like I'm drowning and there's nothing that can save me" she said

"I hate seeing you like this" Bonnie said "I wish there was something I could do" she told her friend

"I wish there was a spell you could cast, in which I would know my happy ever after without putting in the actual work to get to it" Caroline laughed softly

"If that spell existed, I'd use it" Bonnie replied

"Well I guess this sums up our day. Crappy, no good happy ever afters" Caroline said as she lifted her glass as did Bonnie "Here's to our hope of achieving it" she stated

"Cheers" Bonnie agreed before they knocked back their drinks "Hey, you said boys….who's the other boy?" she then asked

* * *

After her talk with Bonnie, Caroline felt a bit at ease that she was able to talk to Bonnie about her problems rather than handle it all on her own. Though she had scratched the surface of what was wrong, when school seemed to be heavily plagueing her. How was she going to be able to pull off getting at least a "B" on her paper? she asked herself as she drove on the open road. Knowing that she'd have to stop off to check on his wounds, Caroline made the trip towards Klaus's as a means to play doctor and avoid being at the house by herself. Coming to recognize when she pulled into the driveway, Robert immediately answered the door with a smile from ear to ear as he stood waiting. Laughing to herself, Caroline couldn't help but think he looked cute and creepy at the same time with that grin that he wore. Giving his usual pleasantries as she entered, Robert wasted no time in informing her of all the delicious things he had cooked throughout the day before she eventually heard Klaus groaning in frustration from the study.

"I see someone is a groach today" Caroline said as she looked back at Robert before making her way down the two steps to join Klaus "You look better" she commented as she put her bag down

"I can't move my bloody arm. What type of buggers did you put on me?" Klaus complained

"Just antiseptic to keep it clean. That shouldn't stop you from moving your arm" Caroline told him as she sat in front of him on the table

"Well it's bugging the hell out of me" Klaus complained

"Yeah, yeah. Can you take your shirt for me?" Caroline said as she couldn't help but laugh at his British slang that he used to show he was frustrated. Reaching in her bag to pull out her medical kit that she had assembled for this very wound while Klaus debated on whether he should

"Uh..." Klaus began to say nervously

"Take your shirt off" Caroline insisted as Klaus once again became self conscience of who he was sitting in front of "Look, I'm not one to beg. So just stop being modest and take the shirt off" she told him as he reluctantly tugged at the bottom of his shirt

"It hurts a bit love" Klaus said as he grimaced

"You're a big boy, you'll fight through the pain" Caroline told him as she grabbed a q-tip from her bag along with her bottle of antiseptic before he finally revealed his bare chest that seemed to be a bit more chiseled than she remembered.

"There, you happy" Klaus said as he tossed his shirt to the side before turning his attention back towards Caroline

"Don't flatter yourself" Carolne told him but secretly she couldn't deny that she was impressed with his package. Spraying wound cleanser on his wound, Klaus grimaced as she so casually cleaned his wound.

"...Damon stopped by for a visit" Klaus said in between grimacing

"Oh, what'd he want?" Caroline asked as she continued to clean"Guess he wanted to see the soul for himself. You know Damon was never one to settle for words" Klaus grimaced

"Did you cry for him?" Caroline teased as she seemed unafftected by what he was saying as she began to patch his wound up with guaze

"Funny" Klaus replied sarcastically "He mentioned something about Elijah and cooking something up as he calls it. Any idea where he'd get that idea from?" he asked as he tried to make eye contact with her

"From me" Caroline replied without thinking as Klaus was a bit taken aback

"Why? I haven't spoke to Elijah, nor any of my family since the spell was cast" Klaus told her

"I guess he just came up in conversation and Damon assumed things...you know how he can jump to ideas" Caroline lied as Klaus couldn't help but look at her skeptically as he knew that she was lying to him."Damon probably just wanted to see if you were really all weepy eyed" she continued to add

"Do you we always have to assosciate my soul to crying?" Klaus questioned

"Well no offense, but you have exactly been the epitome of sanity" Caoline told him with a bit of a laugh

"If you're only coming over to mock me with your friends, then maybe you should leave me be" Klaus said as he pulled away to Caroline's surprise

"I'm not mocking you, I'm stating fact" Caroline replied

"Yeah well, I don't need your facts" Klaus said before he eventually rose from his seat to walk away from him

"Okay, I'm sorry that you feel mocked, but it's not that big of a deal? I don't talk about you to them, that's the last thing I need to discuss" Caroline told him

"Why? you afraid they might think less of you because you choose to knock on my door" Klaus questioned as Caroline looked at him with a bit of confusion

"What are you talking about?" Caroline asked in disbelief

"You lied!" Klaus told her angrily

"Okay, color me confused. What did I lie about?" Caroline asked

"Oh,don't play me for a plank!" Klaus told her in response

"What does that even mean?" Caroline asked in confusion

"Just admit that you lied, then admit why you lied?" Klaus asked as he became more and more aggrivated

"I'd love to do that, but I have no idea what you're talking about with planking and all this other british stuff" Caroline replied

"Oh, don't bring my britishness into this" Klaus replied

"Well you're the one getting all british on me" Caroline replied

"You lied to Damon about Elijah. I haven't spoken to my brother, so you lied!" Klaus told her "Don't lie, I know you well enough to know when you're lying" he told her as she knew that she couldn't really fool him because he had some way of knowing

"Fine. I may have said that you were in talks with Elijah" Caroline admitted

"Why?" Klaus immediately asked

"Because I was trying to give you time" Caroline told him "You were being all suicidal and path...different than normal. So I just thought you shouldn't be offered up on the chopping block until it was a fair advantage" she said

"What does that even mean?" Klaus asked in confusion"Damon wanted to kill you, and you were dealing with the whole soul issue" Caroline replied

"Then let him. I don't need you making me sound like some weak, teary eyed bloke" Klaus replied with much frustration in his voice as he paced the floor

"You are" Caroline replied "You damn near tried to claw out your insides because of your soul" she reasoned

"I don't need you telling me what I am!" Klaus yelled "I know. You want a laugh with your chums, then laugh about me killing Elena. I'm sure that'll be a barrel" he said before Caroline quickly rose to her feet to approach him

"Hey, hey. You don't talk about killing my friend!" Caroline told him as they stared intensely at each other, neither backing down from their stance

"This doesn't change what I am. I know you think this, this soul doesn't make me any less than what I am. I came for my doppleganger, and I still have every intention of getting my doppleganger" Klaus told her

"Gah!…I knew this was all an act" Caroline groaned in frustration as she began to put away the medical kit into her bag

"This wasn't an act, you thought I would be some sitting here weeping the days away. Nothing has changed" Klaus told her "I will get stronger, and I will…" he began to say

"I know, you're going to kill everyone. That seems to be your catch phrase to everything, I'll bloody kill this or that because I'm some big bad" Caroline mocked him

"Stop that!" Klaus yelled as he became infuriate with what little respect she had for him

"You!" Caroline replied "Yes, I lied. I lied because I stupidly thought that you may be better. You'd be better than what you were because hey! He has a soul now, and he can actually determine right from wrong….I thought you'd be better" she reasoned as they looked on at each other

"Well, you were wrong. I am, what I am…and that sweetheart, will never change" Klaus told her before she disgustedly through her bag on her shoulder before she turned to leave. Slamming the door behind her as she left, Robert hurriedly made his way into the study in a hurry.

"Did Ms. Caroline leave?" Robert asked in a frantic

"Go!" Klaus yelled after a few moments of silence before Robert scurried off down the hall to oblige his masters wish. Groaning in frustration, Klaus paced the floor angrily before he eventually reached out to grab his shirt. Moving suddenly, Klaus realized that he had reopened his scab as the blood trickled down his arm.

* * *

Pulling into her driveway, Caroline immediately got out the car before slamming the door behind her. Groaning in frustration, Caroline couldn't believe that she allowed Klaus to make her think that he would actually be…whatever he was. Storming into her house, Caroline quickly tossed her bag to the side before she headed into the kitchen to grab leftovers from the night before. Seeking solace in a tub of vanilla bean, Caroline was determined to have this crappy day end with something enjoyable if it killed her. Hearing a knock come to the door, Caroline sighed as she could only imagine who was at the door. Hesitantly grabbing another spoonful of her ice cream in her mouth before she eventually went to answer the door. Furiously knocking, Caroline became irritated with the constant knocking to see that it was Tyler on the other side. Barely able to stand, Tyler leaned forward as his lips crashed against hers feverishly. Falling back against the wall, Caroline did her best to move away from his kisses but found his want to be overpowering.

"Get off" Caroline said as she continued to push Tyler away

"I want you" Tyler said as he began to kiss her neck

"Okay well, I don't really feel in the mood" Caroline told him as he continued his barrage of kisses

"It's okay. I won't take long" Tyler told her as he continued to kiss her

"But I'm not in the mood" Caroline replied before she finally pushed him off of her "Are you drunk?" she then asked

"A bit" Tyler laughed

"Well you smell drunk" Caroline said as she walked over to close the door behind him

"That's because I came from Johnny's house. He's throwing a kick ass party, I was hoping you could come…and drive" Tyler said as he walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water before he walked back to join her in the living room area

"Wish I could, but I have to write a paper" Caroline told him

"You always write papers. I'm starting to think your making excuses" Tyler teased

"Yes, because I love staying at home writing fictional papers for my history class" Caroline replied sarcastically

"Then maybe you should do something different tonight. Go out, then do the paper" Tyler suggested

"I can't" Caroline sighed

"Okay, seriously? Caroline, there will be other chances to do this paper. School will be there, it's engrained in the system to be a pain in our asses. We only have only have one shot to live" Tyler told her

"I take that phrase literally, seeing as we can use it in the literal sense. Look, I get what you're saying but I kind of want to pass my class" Caroline told him

"I know, but it's like…it's like we hardly even see each other" Tyler told her

"And that's my fault!" Caroline questioned in disbelief

"No, but…you could make an effort" Tyler said

"Effort? Tyler, I'm trying to pass my classes. I'm not trying to avoid you, but last I checked, you were a student as well" Caroline said

"A student that doesn't slave away over homework that will be there. You have time, you just choose to do other things during that time" Tyler told her

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Caroline asked feeling like he was accusing her of something

"You choose to do whatever Damon and Elena tell you to do. Why don't you have Bonnie hang with Klaus? Why you?…she's her best friend, she could step up" Tyler reasoned

"You're her friend as well, which isn't saying much as we speak" Caroline quickly replied

"That's different. You and I both know that" Tyler said

"It's the same thing, and yes, I care about my friends. Call me crazy, but I don't want her killed" Caroline said

"Oh, God! Elena's life is always going to be in danger" Tyler reasoned

"Are we seriously arguing about this? Because this feels like we're seriously arguing over something that I've made my mind up on, so that means we're wasting our time" Caroline replied

"Of course" Tyler laughed to himself "You always make the decision, then explain later. That's how it's going to be now?" he asked

"She's my best friend!" Caroline stated

"And I'm your boyfriend" Tyler replied as they realized that they were at a standstill in the argument "I think we should take a break" he told her as tears welled up in Caroline's eyes as she didn't fear the inevitable as much anymore since she sort of expected it

"I agree" Caroline replied

* * *

**Friday night became so lonely,**

**When you came to make a break,T**

**hat seemed to take all day to make me angry 'cause I**

**Like you, maybe I'm just Like You**

**Holding on to something that we know we can not holdor fold it seems we just can't forget**

**Are you frightened, by perfection?**

**Is this who you are, not who you want to be,**

Clenching on tight to her pillow, Caroline did all she could to drift off to sleep but found that she couldn't. Her earlier conversation with Tyler had hung with her as she felt a bit heartbroken that what she had wanted the most was now withering away. Unsure if she was sad because of the breakup or just failing at yet another thing, Caroline sighed as she hoped that some bit of sleep would come to her so that she could get up to write her paper. Relying on the sound of her mother coming in from a late shift at the station as an indication that she should get up, but found her own lack of sleep wasn't helping. Rolling onto her back, Caroline began to stare up at the ceiling aimlessly. What was she doing? Maybe she should meet up with Tyler? What if she was turning into a stick in the mud? She asked herself repeatedly as her thoughts flooded her. Just as she began to get lost, Caroline's phone began to vibrate. Reaching over to grab her phone, Caroline was surprised to see that it was Robert calling.

**I walk the line like Johnny Cash**

**I made the bus in seconds flat**

**I called your line too many times**

**I'm not obsessed, just impolite.**

As she traveled the open road, Caroline wasn't quite sure why she even came all the way out to begin with. Looking over at the house, Caroline couldn't help but notice Klaus standing in the middle of the open field of his land. Stopping along the sidewalk of the house, Caroline wasn't quite sure what was going on as she had to be prepared for any situation when it came to Klaus. Closing the door to her car, Caroline hid her hands in the pocket of her hoodie as she made her way through the field, hoping that no creature would pop out to creep her out than what she all ready was. The closer she walked towards the middle, Caroline couldn't help but see that Klaus was growing irritated by the minute as he hated waiting. Stopping short of where she was apparently supposed to meet him at, Caroline felt as if she wasn't going to be rushed into what Klaus wanted. There was no way that Caroline was going to let him think he could treat her any kind of way. Stopping where she stood, Caroline folded her arms in protest but partially because it was cold from the night air. With the light shining from the moon up above, they both stood in a stand still before he finally sighed.

"C'mon!" Klaus declared impatiently

"I can leave. I don't have to be here" Caroline replied as she shouted from where she stood as it was a good distance from him

"You drove to far to leave" Klaus told her

"And I have no problem driving back" Caroline quickly replied

"You're making this difficult, stop being difficult" Klaus replied

"Okay, and that was my queue to leave" Caroline said before she turned to leave and head back to car

"Wait!" Klaus called out as he found his pride wasting away "Caroline, wait!" he called out once more as she stopped.

**Sunday came and went so quickly**

**now you say you want me back**

**you will hold on, despite my cons,it seems we're meant to hate it!**

**Being so it seems we can believe that we're two peas in this pod**

**we call New York, gets so you frightened, by neglection?**

**Am I who you want to see yourself to be?**

"I'm not playing this game with you" Caroline said before she turned around to look at him once more "I mean it" she told him

"I know" Klaus replied

"Why'd you have Robert call?" Caroline asked

"Because" Klaus reasoned as he hated admitting anything to her

"Because what?" Caroline asked not getting any sort of clear cut answer from his statement

"Because" Klaus said as he ran his hand through his hair furiously

"Again, I can always leave" Caroline told him as he looked at her for a moment in the distance, determining that this was either going to happen now or never because he knew that she would make good on her threats. "Why'd you call?" she asked

**I walk the line like Johnny Cash**

**I made the bus in seconds flat**

**I called your line too many times**

**I'm not obsessed, just impolite**

"I may have needed your help" Klaus muttered

"You do realize that there is a bit of distance between us, you'll have to speak up" Caroline told him

"I need your help!" Klaus called out as she was glad that they were at least making progress

"With?" Caroline asked

"Oh bloody hell, I need help with my scar" Klaus told her

"Why not ask Robert? Isn't that what you compelled him to do?" Caroline asked as she slowly walked towards him

"Yes" Klaus admitted "But you…you do a better job with the whole cleaning to where it doesn't become too much of a bugger to me" he said as she continued to walk towards her

"Oh, so you need me" Caroline concluded

"I never said that. I need you to clean my wound, that's all. You could just do that for good measure then sod off afterwards" Klaus replied not wanting to admit to anything that made him weak before she once again stopped where she stood which was becoming fairly close to where he was. "Oh c'mon!" he groaned once more as he hated that she was driving him so mad over the smallest of things.

**You're stuck on me, you don't know why**

**Can't leave me anytime you try**

**They say that everybody cries**

**so don't think twice 'cause it's alright.**

"You do notice the pattern here, right? every time you insult me, I stop" Caroline told him.

"Your words, not mine love" Klaus laughed through gritted teeth

"So now I'm a liar?" Caroline questioned him.

"I never said that. Stop putting words in my mouth" Klaus declared "You're doing that on purpose" he told her

"Accusations won't get me any closer" Caroline told him

"Fine. I'll fess up to the fact that Robert clearly thinks you're the only one that can manage this pestering wound" Klaus replied

"So now it's Robert?" Caroline asked "How stubborn are you going to be?" she asked before she stormed over towards him within a matter of seconds. "Can you just admit it all ready? I'm not asking you give up a kidney, just admit that you need help" she declared as she saw a grin on his face "Why do you have that stupid grin on your face?" she then asked

"Because" Klaus smiled

"There we go again with the because…" Caroline flailed her hands in frustration before she realized that she had given up her leverage in this tug of war that they were in. "I wouldn't be smiling, I believe this is your boundary line that you can't cross" she said as she looked down at the grass to see that he made a conservative effort to stay behind the unseen boundary line. Looking down at the line that he knew all too well due to burnings, Klaus looked up to see that she was now wearing the grin. "Yeah, I don't forget the big stuff" she told him.

**Stay here,**

**Touching you, touching the light in your eyes**

**That keeps coming back**

"So about that call?" Caroline asked as they no longer needed to shout or regress in irritation as they both stood face to face in their respectable spaces

"I….need….your…help" Klaus said slowly as he found it easier with each word that he spoke

"Was that hard?" Caroline asked

"Don't ask me that because you know the bloody answer" Klaus replied

"Bloody? Is that a british thing?" Caroline asked

"Yes, it's a british thing" Klaus nodded "Now because I admit to you that I need you to heal the wound, this doesn't mean I'm some twit" he told her

"If that's your way of saying that I shouldn't make you seem weak, than I won't look at this as you being weak" Caroline assured him

"So no telling Damon or anyone else" Klaus told her

"As long as you don't plan to kill Elena" Caroline then added

"Sweetheart, I'm an Original. My purpose is to get the doppleganger…" Klaus began to say hoping she'd understand that he wasn't going to morph into who she wanted him to be, but then seeing the frustration on her face made him realize that he had to bend a bit "But as long as I'm under spell and key, I won't plot to kill or think of killing" he sighed

"Really?…and no creepy dreams of killing, that's disturbing as well" Caroline said

"You're pushing it" Klaus replied

"Fine" Caroline said after she thought for a few moments "This is me trusting you, if you haven't noticed" she then said as he looked at her a bit surprised

"And this is me trusting you" Klaus told her as he looked her dead in the eyes to show his sincerity

"Good. Don't let me down" Caroline replied as they looked at each other for a few moments for their own confirmations. "C'mon, lets get you patched up. I have a paper to write" she sighed as she began to walk towards the mansion as he followed behind. Unsure of why he felt the need, but Klaus followed behind and for the life of him he couldn't help but let a smile escape her. "What do you know about the women in the 1500-1700's?" she then asked.


	6. Heart of the Matter

**Monster**

**Chapter Six- Heart of the Matter**

* * *

Biting her finger nails. Pacing the floor. Going back and forth in her head as to whether she should really look. Caroline was determined to weather the storm that was her break up with Tyler. It had been one whole week since they broke up, and although she had her days where she was managing, Caroline couldn't help but sulk a few times. Elena and Bonnie had huddled around her lap top to look on at Tyler's face book page to see his daily updates. For the most part, Caroline knew that Tyler would be just as devastated if not more about their break up, but the fear that he might not still weighed heavily on her mind. Giving each other a few glances, wondering if they should tell their friend about their findings, Elena did her best to form the best sentence that would give Caroline comfort and relief to know that she was doing the best thing by giving her relationship a breather for a bit. Bonnie of course waited for Elena to crash and burn, but it was a bit funny for her to see Elena struggle. Turning to look at her friends, Caroline wore a look of panic in her face as she just wished Elena would spit it out by now.

"Tell me…wait, wait don't tell me" Caroline told her friends as she clapped her hands together "Well maybe I should know, I mean we were all friends before…we're still friends" she then reasoned

"Do you want to know?" Bonnie asked

"Should I?" Caroline asked as she looked over at Elena

"He hasn't changed, if that helps" Elena replied nervously

"What does that mean?" Caroline quickly asked

"Uh…" Elena stalled in what she should say "He's grieving in his own way" she then added

"That didn't help" Bonnie muttered to Elena

"Let me see" Caroline said as she walked over towards her friend only to find that they were shielding the lap top away from her "C'mon, let me see" she said

"No, I don't think you're ready yet" Elena reasoned

"I've been single for a week. I'm more than ready" Caroline replied

"What exactly are you trying to figure out?" Bonnie asked as she grabbed the lap top away from Elena to keep it further away from Caroline

"I just want to see how he's doing. Is that wrong?" Caroline asked with desperation in her voice

"Yes!" Bonnie and Elena quickly replied to her question

"Easy for you two to say, you're in relationships or lingering on one" Caroline replied "The only consistent I have is…I have no consistent, so I need to see what his consistent is doing" she said about to poke fun at Klaus but remembered her pact with him that stopped her from going there with her friends

"He's just acting out" Elena reasoned

"Okay, you really shouldn't be the comforter of the group" Bonnie told her

"Give me the computer" Caroline groaned as she lunged at her friends to wrestle for the computer before she finally got hold to it.

"Ouch!" Bonnie declared as she checked her face while Elena tended to her lip

"I think you made me bite my lip" Elena mumbled as she tried to check her lip while trying to talk

"You brought this on yourselves" Caroline told them before she opened up the window on the computer screen to see what her friends tried to shield from her

"It's not that bad" Elena told her

"No, it's that bad" Caroline quickly replied "How?" she asked in disbelief

"He's just caught up in the party scene. You said so yourself" Bonnie reasoned

"Enough to totally disregard that we were together. Bonnie, it's been a whole week, seven days, one hundred and sixty-eight hours, ten thousand and eighty minutes. One week!" Caroline replied

"It's a bit scary that you know that much math" Bonnie replied

"I'm not joking" Caroline said as she got up from the bed "That is bad. That's like a huge screw you to me" she told her friends

"He's a guy. Guys don't mourn like we do, trust me I should know. Stefan was trying to kill me while I was mourning our relationship" Elena told her

"Ugh! This is so stupid" Caroline replied as her eyes watered "I don't want to cry over him because he's clearly not doing the same over me. Why should I cry? Why do I want to cry?" she stated

"Because, you thought you two would last. That's perfectly normal, we don't exactly see the end when we're so deep in love" Elena replied "You know the one thing you could do to help you?" she asked after a moment of silence

"I know" Caroline said as an immediate thought came to her mind "Throw a party" she said

"That wasn't what I was going to say" Elena reasoned

"My mom is out of town on sheriff stuff, which is odd, so I'll have the house all to myself" Caroline replied "I'll invite him to show that I'm clearly moving on…" she began to say

"You're not moving on" Elena replied

"But strides are being made" Bonnie added

"Elena, I love you. I'd do anything for you, but let me have my moment of bad decision making. I'm stressed over classes. I'm looking after an soul filled Original. I just broke up with my high school sweetheart. I need this party" Caroline pleaded with Elena

"How is that going by the way? The whole checking on Klaus?" Elena asked

"Its manageable, nothing special, but I do it for you" Caroline reasoned

"She does have a point" Bonnie added

"See, there you go. Willing friend that wants to let another friend be stupid for a night" Caroline smiled "Are you on board?" she asked as Elena looked from Caroline to Bonnie

"Fine" Elena agreed as Caroline clapped excitedly

* * *

Breathing heavily as another spell of voices came over him, Klaus sat on the floor clenching his eyes shut as he tried to ride it out. Over the days, Klaus found that along with the voices that were of his victims over the years worth of killing, his guilt began to pick up heavily. Sometimes when he would sit in the darkness of his room, Klaus would crawl up into a ball just trying to survive the grotesque images that came to his mind. He was a gruesome killer, he was the type that showed no sympathy for his victims because it was all just a game to him, the more his victims feared him, the better it was. Looking on at his hand, Klaus dictated whether he was ready to get up from where he sat on the floor. Peeking into his room, Caroline prepared to shield her eyes as she was unsure if he was undressed or not. Unable to find him as she scanned the room for where she stood in the doorway, Caroline prepared to leave before she heard the trembling sounds. Walking over towards the front of the bed to see Klaus sitting on the floor.

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked as she kneeled down in front of him

"Nothing" Klaus grimaced as she sat up against the foot of the bed

"Are you sure? Because you don't strike me as someone that sits on the floor" Caroline replied "Is it the wound?" she asked as she extended her hand out to check on the wound

"No, no" Klaus said as he moved her hand away "I'm fine" he told her

"Klaus…" Caroline began to say

"Caroline" Klaus replied sternly as he had no interest in sharing his troubles with her because he himself wasn't sure how to deal

"Fine, you win" Caroline sighed as she extended her hand out towards him to help him up from the floor "I wanted to ask you a favor…well not a favor because I've all ready asked Robert, but I thought I'd be able to be polite" she said as he sat on the bed

"What?" Klaus asked

"I'm having Robert cook for a little party I'm having" Caroline replied

"And you don't think I should know about this first" Klaus replied

"Uh huh, I just told you" Caroline replied as she turned and began to walk away. Grabbing his book of the day, Klaus got up from the bed and quickly followed behind

"You know love, I didn't compel him to become your personal slave" Klaus told her as they made their way down the stairs

"No, you just compelled him to become your personal slave" Caroline replied

"That's different" Klaus replied

"How?" Caroline turned to look back at him

"Because I needed someone to tended to the house" Klaus replied

"Because that's always a necessity. Look, Robert has all ready given me his word, so there's really nothing left you can say" Caroline said as they walked into the study

"Uh, yes there is. I can compel him to forget about your stupid party" Klaus told her

"How do you know my party is going to be stupid?" Caroline asked

"A bunch of teenagers get sloshed, someone does something stupid that will eventually set the mark for their pathetic life of living in a small town such as Mystic Falls" Klaus told her

"Sadly enough, I feel like you were describing a bit of everyone I know….this party isn't going to be stupid" Caroline protested

"Will my doppleganger be there?" Klaus asked with a creepy smile on her face

"Don't do that, that's creepy and disturbing, which in your standards translates into you thinking about killing" Caroline said "I'd give the guest list, but you don't know anyone so there's no need" she replied as she took a seat on the sofa while grabbing her folder out of her bag

"I don't see the point in the slosh fest, certainly not enough to take the old man away" Klaus said

"I'm not taking any old man away, he's cooking for me, that is it" Caroline replied as she pulled her history paper out while Klaus sat across from her as he opened up his book "You just like being difficult" she replied

"I'm being difficult? You're taking my butler, and I'm being difficult?" Klaus quickly questioned in disbelief

"You'll get over it" Caroline shrugged off his complaints before he noticed the history paper that she had been working on

"Is that your paper?" Klaus asked as he looked on at the paper

"Yes, it is my paper. I decided to do my paper on Catherine Medici" Caroline stated

"Seriously?" Klaus asked

"Yes, seriously. Why? Do you know her or something?" Caroline asked

"There was nothing influential about her as the paper requests" Klaus stated

"Yeah well, I did my research on her and I'm turning this paper in on her on Monday" Caroline shrugged "I have bigger things to deal with" she said as she tucked the paper back into her folder

"Reaching mediocre standards" Klaus muttered

"If you say so" Caroline smiled sarcastically "I have to go" she sighed as she looked on at her phone to see that Bonnie was texting her on her whereabouts

"Good" Klaus huffed

"You're welcome" Caroline shot back "I won't be by tomorrow because I'll be having my slosh fest" she said as she got up from her seat to put her bag on her shoulder as she prepared to leave

"May your life not end in doom" Klaus called out as she headed towards the door

"I will…I mean I won't" Caroline replied before she huffed in frustration as he had gotten to her.

* * *

Coming out of her class with her books in hand, Caroline felt a bit better to know that at least there was one day of class that she actually grasped the material to its fullest. Stuck in the routine of meeting up with Tyler, Caroline made a conservative effort to avoid taking the same door to exit to avoid the path he'd be on or she went another route to avoid hearing his laugh, all in attempt of not having to deal with his demeanor. Meeting up with Bonnie in the courtyard, Caroline smiled at her friend as she walked up towards her only to see that smile diminish once she saw Tyler off in the distance. Noticing Caroline's eye contact had shifted, Bonnie turned to see the very person that had caught her attention. Walking over to join Caroline as they both looked on at Tyler as he embraced his new single status while being surrounded by endless cheerleaders.

"I'm okay" Caroline replied as Bonnie grabbed her hand

"Are you sure?" Bonnie asked

"Yeah, I have to be" Caroline replied as she pulled Bonnie behind her as she began to walk down the pathway "Of course looking at him won't do any good" she sighed

"Agree" Bonnie said as they continued to walk "So yesterday, I talked with Abby a bit" she told Caroline

"That sounds good" Caroline smiled "Are you excited having her back?" she then asked

"It's not like that. It's just all business" Bonnie replied

"Bonnie, this is your mother we're talking about" Caroline reasoned

"Which is why it'd be pointless to get my hopes up on the matter. I just have to be prepared to be let down" Bonnie sighed

"That's a horrible way to look at things" Caroline replied

"It's realistic" Bonnie laughed "So anyways, she was telling me more about the spell that she put on Klaus" she told her

"Oh, what'd she say?" Caroline asked a bit intrigued

"Well we're not quite sure how he's retained his soul, but it's probably due to old spirits that were present in that time period" Bonnie said

"That doesn't make sense? How can old spirits conflict with Klaus?" Caroline asked "I mean if Elena says is true, Klaus should be an even bigger ass than what he was" she replied

"Not necessarily, I mean there had to be someone within Klaus's family that wasn't a complete monster" Bonnie reasoned

"Who? I mean Elijah has his bouts with good. Esther, well she's a mama full of drama…she's practically trying to kill all her kids over a decision she made long ago. Rebekah, well I just think she's a pain, so I can't see good due to an unwillingness to try. Maybe the powers that be just want him to suffer a bit" Caroline reasoned

"Maybe, but we're dealing with spirits that may or not use Klaus for their own revenge" Bonnie said

"Does Damon know?" Caroline asked

"I haven't talked to him yet, but I'm sure he's hounding Abby as we speak" Bonnie said

"Do you think we could hold off on him finding out?" Caroline asked

"Why?" Bonnie asked

"Klaus is just all over the place these past couple of weeks. I just…I don't know" Caroline tried to tell her friend

"I thought you'd be happy to know your days with Klaus would be numbered?" Bonnie asked her friend

"I am, trust me. I just think maybe this soul thing is something we should stick through to make sure that it won't backfire on us" Caroline said "I mean let's think about this, if the spirits are all involved in this, then Klaus could be the gateway to whatever baddie coming next. Killing him would be the obvious choice, but using him to our advantage would serve us good until we know for sure what we're dealing with" she said

"Wow! Did I hear you correctly, are you making a case to keep Klaus alive?" Bonnie asked as she stopped dead in her tracks to face Caroline

"I just think we need to relax on the wars, let's be our age for a time period. We can fight the bad in this town a month or two from now, I just want my life back for a bit, and if I have to endure five minute visits with him…then I'll take it for the time being" Caroline told her "This is what the party will be about, and we need to remember that" she said trying to pump Bonnie about

"Are you there is nothing else that I'm missing?" Bonnie asked

"There's nothing missing" Caroline told her

"I heard Tyler is free now. He's so mine now that he's available" One girl said as she walked with her group of friends, unaware that Caroline and Bonnie heard every word she said.

"Okay, I think we should go now" Bonnie said as she immediately tended to her friend

"But…" Caroline began to say before Bonnie ushered her forward

"I know. Just remember, party. Think loud music, alcohol, and lots of boys" Bonnie told her as she pushed her forward

* * *

Flipping through the pages of his book as he propped himself up against the headboard of his bed, Klaus found that his eyes were getting heavy. Rubbing his eyes to keep himself from falling asleep, Klaus adjusted himself in the bed so that he could keep his focus on the book he was reading. Reading a few more sentences, he once again felt the heaviness of his eyelids as they wanted desperately to fall shut. Getting up from the bed, Klaus headed into his oversized bathroom and began to relieve himself of his shirt. Tossing his shirt onto the floor, Klaus reached over to turn the shower on, he continued to undress before he eventually was down to his briefs. Running the water in the sink, Klaus splashed water on his face as he took a moment to catch his breath. Looking up in the mirror, Klaus quickly jumped with surprise as he saw Esther standing behind him.

"Bloody hell!" Klaus yelled as he turned to look at his mother

"You're only fighting the inevitable Nikolaus" Esther said in her sweet, motherly voice that sent him into a trance

"You don't know what your talking about" Klaus sniped at his mother

"But I do" Esther replied "This soul will only kill you. A creature like you isn't bound to feel. You feel nothing" she told him

"I feel all I need to. My mission remains the same" Klaus replied

"Your mission?" Esther laughed "It's not a mission, a suicide mission" she replied as she walked towards him "You'll never be anything more than an animal" she said as she attempted to touch the side of his face but he had swatted her hand away

"Don't…you want to give a mother's touch, well you serve no purpose as that of a mother. Not now, not ever!" Klaus yelled

"Because I am to blame for everything. I'm not to blame for your behavior" Esther replied

"This is not my fault!" Klaus replied angrily "You made me this way. You made me this monster. You, and only you!" he continued say angrily as he tried to maintain his composure somewhat

"Nikolaus, you are a monster. That's all you will ever be" Esther told him "Do you even feel?" she asked

"Yes!" Klaus replied

"No, you don't feel. You can't feel because there's nothing in you to comprehend how to feel. Don't you see, that's all I wanted…I'm trying to help you" Esther told him

"By killing the very thing you birthed?" Klaus asked

"No, by killing the monster that you are" Esther told him "I'm trying to help you. Let me help you?" she asked

"I don't want your help" Klaus replied as he folded his arms in protest before a silence came between them

"…the voices will only come on much stronger. They'll become so deafening that they will slowly but surely kill you, to where the white oak won't even be necessary" Esther told him

"I will find a way. I will, mark my words…" Klaus began to say

"You won't" Esther smiled "You will die as an abomination that you are" she told him as Klaus couldn't help but tear up as only his mother could manage to tear him down so sweetly to where it hurt beyond belief

"You're wrong!" Klaus yelled before he reached over to grab the closest item to throw only to feel the regret of trying to hit a woman, but luckily for him, all he had hit was the wall. Catching his breath as he had over exerted himself once more, Klaus found that it wasn't real. She wasn't real. His mother had just been a figment of his imagination. Turning back to look into the mirror, Klaus half expectedly thought he'd see his mother's image appear once more to play tricks on his mind. Just as he felt like things were settling in for him, Klaus was overwhelmed with whispers and screams that rang loudly in his ears. Screaming out in agony as he brought his hands to his ears, Klaus's legs gave out as he fell to his knees in pain.

* * *

With the party in full swing, Caroline and the girls had managed to have a good turn out for the most part. Seeing a couple of familiar high school faces, Caroline had managed to spot Tyler through the crowd. Sure that he wasn't going to pass up any type of party, Caroline ran the idea of making a scene with any random guy like he was with the random girls that came his way. Caroline wanted so badly to show him that he wasn't the only one moving on. As much as she wanted to use some random guy, Caroline decided to use alcohol as he source of relief. Looking on at Elena and Bonnie with their respective significant others, Caroline felt something she had never felt before with her friends. She felt alone. She didn't have Tyler to share any moments with as they were all usually coupled off, but for her to be the odd one out, it was a feeling she couldn't explain. As the party carried on, Caroline felt more and more pressed to just be on her own than face the realities that was beginning to set in with her. Saying her good nights to her friends, Caroline shared an awkward exchange with Tyler before he eventually left. Looking on at the mess that she opted to clean up later, Caroline wanted to grab her car keys, but knew that her drinking earlier then attempting to drive wouldn't be smart. Calling the only source that she had, Caroline just needed to escape.

Making her way inside of the mansion as she had done time and time before, Caroline slowly walked through to notice that it was darker than usual. Unsure as to why she even came here in the first place, Caroline couldn't help but walk further inside as she wasn't quite sure what she would find when it came to Klaus. Walking towards the living room area of the house, Caroline quickly spotted Klaus sprawled out on the floor with his own bit of alcohol party going on. Taking a seat on the floor, Klaus quickly sat up to see if she was real as if he was expecting a ghost of some sort.

"Calm. Calm" Caroline told him as she dropped down across from him

"Shouldn't you be at your party?" Klaus asked as he laid back down

"I should, but I can't" Caroline said before she reached over to grab the bottle of vodka beside him

"I don't care love" Klaus replied as he opened up another bottle of bourbon and began to drink

"Clearly, why do I even bother telling you" Caroline laughed in disbelief "If you don't care then why ask?" she asked as she looked over at him

"I figured it'd be polite" Klaus replied as he took another swig from the bottle

"Here's a lesson, when you ask a question, stick around for the answer…that's polite" Caroline sighed

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind love" Klaus replied sarcastically before he took yet another swig from his bottle while Caroline drank from the bottle of vodka only to find that she was unable to handle anymore drinking

"This is so pathetic. I'm pathetic" Caroline sadly replied as she sat the bottle down on the table "I'm drinking to numb a problem, that I knew was a problem, but didn't want to admit was a problem" she reasoned

"Let me guess, that'd be the human in you that allows you to avoid the inevitable" Klaus laughed as he finished off the bottle before tossing it to the side

"Yes, it's human. You shouldn't mock human emotion" Caroline told him drunkenly

"I don't mock it, I just find it all a bit melodramatic" Klaus replied "I bet the even so called problem you're avoiding teeters on melodramatic as well" he said as he looked over at her "Are the problems you genuinely see as problems really problems or do you just make them in to problems?" he asked

"Okay, that was a bit of confusing for me in this somewhat drunken state. That just sounded like a bunch of circular words" Caroline replied as she began to massage her head "All I know is that I used to have a great life, I had a great boyfriend, popularity, and idea of what the future was…" she began to say

"And now you're single, spending time with an Original as you're assigned task from a vampire, just another fish in the sea at Mystic Junior College, and no clue as to what the future has to offer you in return. Does that sum it up?" Klaus concluded as he looked over at Caroline to get the nod of confirmation "Melodramatic" he then declared before Caroline hit him on the arm

"This is my life!" Caroline protested

"Which makes it even more the tickler" Klaus replied as he dodged her hits to get up from the floor as he walked over to grab yet another bottle of vodka from the bar

"Said the Original that is trapped in his oversized mansion" Caroline replied

"Yes, said I" Klaus replied before a moment of silence came between them

"You wouldn't understand. Yes, it's my life, but I didn't expect to feel so lost in it" Caroline sighed as she got lost in her realization "When your young you have this notion that you'll live this happy and full life, then as you go through the stages of getting towards life, you actually begin to think you could have it all. You can be the girl you dreamt of, the one with love and happiness that turns into marriage, career, family, white picket fences…well that part changed due to my own vampire status, but nonetheless; you dream for that. You don't dream to feel like where is your place in this world" she said lost in a daze "Maybe I am pathetic, but I guess you wouldn't understand" she replied before she reached to grab the bottle of vodka once more as Klaus looked on at how hopeless she was in that moment.

"I do" Klaus spoke "I understand" he told her

"How? How do you understand?" Caroline asked

"Of what little good memories I have of being human, those were my dreams. I dreamt of the same things once, but the harshness of life tarnished those dreams. I get the feeling of wanting to lead a full life" Klaus told her

"Until your mother took that?" Caroline asked

"Yes…until she took that" Klaus replied as the vulnerability between the two had become evident as he could see the sincerity in her eyes. Taking another sip from his drink to numb the feelings he was having.

"I loved him. I still love him" Caroline said as tears welled up in her eyes

"It wasn't love" Klaus said after he took another swig from his bottle

"Tell that to my heart because it was" Caroline replied

"Love doesn't exist in just your heart, that's the things with humans…they get this notion that love is purely a heart thing, but fail to realize the other factors that go along with it" Klaus scoffed as he kneeled down towards the fireplace to start a fire "Love is like a disease. It's in your system, it's in your blood" he said as he looked on at the flicker of the flames

"And you gain all of this knowledge from what?" Caroline asked as she propped herself up on her arms

"Books, history, life…you don't live thousands of years and not walk away with some bit of knowledge" Klaus smirked as he looked back at her "This is not love that you mourn over, it's the wish of it being love that saddens you" he said as he looked at her "You'll know when it's love, but for now…consider this life obstacle in you finding that great love you desire" he told her

"What if I never find that great love? What if it's always one heart break after another?" Caroline asked as she began to pout, which only made Klaus smile a bit as even in her vulnerable state she managed to more beautiful than ever

"I assure you. If there's one thing that I can promise you, it'll be that you know great love before you leave this earth" Klaus told her as a smile slowly came to her face as her eye lids became heavy with sleep as she laid back on the floor to where her head was resting on her folded arms. Taking a seat in front of the fire, Klaus did his best not to stare at her beautiful structure but found that it was a hard task not to complete.

"Maybe you can feel" Caroline concluded still half asleep "Someone that describes love so vividly like that, you'd have to have felt that" she laughed still half asleep

"I'm beginning to do this whole feeling thing" Klaus said as he took another swig from his bottle

"She's wrong" Caroline said as she began to drift off to sleep

"Who?" Klaus asked

"You're mother…you're not an abomination. You're a pain, but you're not an abomination" Caroline sighed as Klaus couldn't help but take those words to heart. Stunned with her words, Klaus searched for the words to say but found as he began to speak, no words would escape him as she had drifted off to sleep. Putting the bottle down, Klaus got up from where he sat to walk over towards her to collect her from the floor that she slept on. Placing her on the sofa, Klaus reached over to spread the blanket over her body as he wanted to make sure that she felt some bit of comfort before the on coming hang over she was sure to have afterwards.

"Thank you" Klaus whispered as he looked down at the sleeping beauty that he had fancied before he slowly backed away.

* * *

Clenching on tight to the pillow, Caroline nestled up close to the comforts of the pillow as it seemed to be softer than she imagined. Falling back into the comforts of her sleep, Caroline moaned in relaxation as the scent of fresh pastries filled the room. Relaxed in her surrounding, Caroline quickly sat up on the sofa to realize that it wasn't her surrounding that she was in. Looking around frantically as to where she was, Caroline realized that she was over at Klaus's. Immediately looking under the blanket to see if she was clothed, Caroline couldn't remember how she even got to Klaus's in the first place. Dear God, I hope we didn't hook up of any sort last night? Caroline thought frantically to herself before she looked over to see Klaus coming down the staircase, whistling to himself as he played with papers in his hand. Swinging her legs around, Caroline began to gather her things just as Klaus made his way into the living room.

"In a rush?" Klaus asked as Robert came out with a tray of breakfast foods for them. Grabbing a glass of orange juice after taking a shot glass of blood, Caroline rubbed her eyes to make sure that she was dreaming up this scenario that had her sleeping over at Klaus's

"How?" Caroline asked in confusion

"You had a taxi drive you over…" Klaus began to explain

"I had a party last night" Caroline replied

"Which ended up in you coming over here, and asking about love" Klaus then blurted out which Caroline's face contort in confusion before she eventually shook her head in disbelief

"That's worse than a random hook up" Caroline groaned

"Then you sort of threw yourself at me" Klaus told her as he decided to have a bit of fun with her

"Okay, now…now I'm going to be sick" Caroline replied as she began to mimic throwing up "Robert! Bring me the white oak, anything!" she called out

"I wouldn't be so dramatic. It was flattering, seeing your temptress side" Klaus teased

"Temptress! I was drunk, tipsy even" Caroline reasoned

"Yes because that would be the only way you'd throw yourself at me" Klaus sighed as he figured he'd have enough fun with her

"So what? Did I throw myself at you?" Caroline asked

"No. You were a pleasant drunk" Klaus told her before Caroline nodded in comfort to hearing that. Once she finally let everything seep in, Caroline reached behind her then immediately threw a pillow over in his direction.

"Why would you lie about that!" Caroline declared as Klaus let a grin escape before gaining his composure of a shell that couldn't be cracked

"Hey! My house" Klaus declared as he dodged pillows

"My body" Caroline quickly retorted

"Oh, come off it" Klaus told her "Nothing happened, not even in your drunken state did you dream of touching me. So you should be proud of that" he told her as she got up from her seat to walk over towards the tray of pastries "And still you eat my food" he muttered to myself

"I'm leaving" Caroline stated as she took a bite of her scone before grabbing a glass of orange juice as she took a sip "After I get another scone" she said before she grabbed for another before she noticed her history that was on the table. Completely rewritten, and under Queen Elizabeth I. "What is this?" she then turned to ask

"I rewrote your paper" Klaus replied as she looked stunned "The concepts you had fell under more of Elizabeth, so I rewrote your paper with your ideas to match with Queen Elizabeth. Who was quite the lady by the way" he told her so casually as he opened up his book

"You rewrote my paper?" Caroline asked still amazed that he would do such a thing for her "This isn't going to be some hoax in which I turn in the paper and get a failing grade, is it?" she asked

"If you fail with that paper than you should question the institute you go to, not the paper" Klaus replied smugly as she still stood baffled by his actions

"Thank you" Caroline said

"…you're welcome" Klaus sighed as he began to read his book, acting as if what he had done was nothing but normal.

"I should go. It has to be typed, but I'm sure what is there will be good" Caroline smiled

"Is this the part where we become chummy about me doing something nice and normal?" Klaus said as he stopped reading for a moment

"…No. Why? Do you expect that?" Caroline asked

"No. Just leave me to my butler and consider ourselves repaid for what you do for me. I owe you nothing, my debt is paid" Klaus replied knowing that he had to be cold because her expecting him to be nice and normal was something he couldn't live up to.

"Debt paid" Caroline said as she grabbed her purse before she began to head out of the living room "…I never held that against you. Sometimes someone can be nice, and leave as that…being nice. You were nice today, that's nothing to be ashamed of" she said before she opened up the door to leave. Turning to say something to her statement, Klaus found the she had left long before he was able to say any type of response. Taking a moment to examine why he didn't say what he needed to say, Klaus reluctantly opened up his book before the door once again opened to his surprise. "Yeah, I kind of forgot that I took a cab over here. So keep the same effect of me leaving while I sit over here and finish my scone" she said as she made her way back into the house. Looking on at her in confusion with how mind boggling she could be, Klaus didn't know whether to keep reading or just be stunned at the fact that she had such free access to his house, when his house would once be a fortress that no one would dare enter, but yet she managed to make his door a revolving one.


	7. What We Could Become

**Author's Note: Thank you all for your reviews. I greatly appreciated the feedback. I hope you enjoy the chapter and hope to get your feedback on the chapters.**

* * *

**Monster**

**Chapter Seven- What We Could Become**

* * *

Letting out a yawn as she came from taking a shower, Caroline lazily made her way into her bedroom. Playing with the drawstring on her robe, Caroline circled it around like helicopter as she headed to sit in front of her mirror. Feeling a bit relieved that she had managed to rid her mirror of the pictures of Tyler and her, Caroline felt the healing process beginning to take over as she cried a little less and cared a little less when it came to the end of her relationship. Maybe Klaus was right? Maybe it wasn't love that I was mourning when it came to Tyler? She asked herself as she looked back at her reflection in the mirror. Hearing her phone go off with an update on her face book page, Caroline quickly got up from where she sat to walk over and grab her phone. Opening up her face book message, Caroline looked on with a bit of smile to see that one of the guys she had met in class, Brad, had befriended her on his page. Leaving a cute little note, Caroline couldn't help but smile at his message, but wouldn't allow herself to think anything else of it. Just as she got caught up in looking at his picture, she was knocked off that screen by the incoming call she was getting from Klaus.

"How do Originals know how to use cell phones?" Caroline groaned as she answered

"We're not inept in technology" Klaus quickly replied "It's the bloody goggle box that's got me" he groaned as she could hear him messing with something in the background

"Why are you calling?" Caroline asked as she didn't waste any time trying to figure out any of his british slang he used so randomly on her

"Oh, I was calling because I wanted to know about the paper" Klaus told her

"The paper?…you're calling me about a history paper?" Caroline asked as she processed the idea that an Original was concerned about a history paper

"Well, I wrote it. So it's only natural I be concerned about the grade" Klaus reasoned

"In your strange, warped mind I can see you honestly believing that" Caroline stated

"Did you pass or not?" Klaus sighed as he asked

"Yes, I passed. The teacher looked at me strangely, like she couldn't believe I came up with such ideas. You'll probably have to stop writing papers for me or at least dumb it down to my language so it's believable" Caroline told him

"You're not dumb" Klaus quickly replied to where it seemed like a natural thing for him to say

"Thanks" Caroline replied as she was a bit surprised that he had complimented her "Uh…we or more you did good. You got a 'B'" she told him

"B, I find that hard to believe. With my corrections and you're conservative ideas, that paper should have got a high mark, the highest mark" Klaus replied

"Well that's the grade we received" Caroline told him

"…okay, I'm having a hard time comprehending that because the facts were actual facts that not too many people know. Queeny wasn't the looker, but I learned much of my tact from being in her graces" Klaus said reminding her that he was extremely old

"Wait, you knew Queen Elizabeth?" Caroline asked

"I'm not exactly a spring chicken love, but I've had the pleasure of meeting her on occasion" Klaus replied

"This conversation sounds so weird and abnormal" Caroline laughed to herself

"Why?" Klaus asked "How old do you think I am?" he then asked

"Old, old. Now that you know the grade, is that all?" Caroline asked as she sighed

"Wait, what were the critiques on the paper?….you know, for future purposes?" Klaus asked frantically

"I don't know" Caroline replied a bit annoyed

"How do you ever plan to progress in the boarding house if you don't look at critiquing?" Klaus asked in disbelief

"First of all, it's called college not a boarding house, I believe that term applies strictly to little Annie…" Caroline began to say

"Who is that?" Klaus asked a bit confused

"You don't know who little Annie is?" Caroline asked a bit surprised

"What era is she in?" Klaus asked as he tried remember her from his recollection

"You know, hard knock life. Daddy Warbucks…" Caroline said as she only got silence on the other line of the phone "You need to get caught up to the present, not knowing little Annie is tragic, even by your standards" she told him

"I wasn't one to know many ladies, only few catch my fancy" Klaus replied as Caroline was unsure how she should respond seeing as she knew how he felt about her

"Well the good news is that little Annie wouldn't be legal to date or if we're talking in the present day then she'd be still too young for you…how old are you?" Caroline asked yet again as the comparison to little Annie had her think once again towards his age

"Numbers don't carry weight over knowledge" Klaus told her as she found that statement to be odd

"Yes because that's what I was asking" Caroline replied sarcastically "Just how bored are you?" she asked

"What do you mean?" Klaus asked

"You're calling about a paper…" Caroline began to say

"That I wrote, let's not forget that factor" Klaus stated

"That you wrote. You're making small talk, which I'm surprised you know how to do, which leads me to the conclusion that you're bored" Caroline said "Don't you have any books to read, I hear Wuthering Heights is a classic" she stated

"Have you read it?" Klaus asked

"Emphasis on the word 'heard' and that'll be your answer" Caroline said

"I suppose my interests have reached it's peak. I have half the mind to compel a circus for mindless entertainment" Klaus sighed

"No! do not compel anything else. I have yet to figure out if Robert even has a family that might be missing him" Caroline quickly shot down his suggestion

"Relax, he's about as lonely as me" Klaus stated

"You're lonely?" Caroline asked a bit surprised that he admitted that fact to her out of the blue since he was hell bent on keeping his dark persona. Just as Klaus was beginning to answer her, Caroline heard beep sounds come from her phone

"What's that beeping?" Klaus asked nervously as Caroline looked on at her phone to see that it was Elena calling

"Relax, I'm not recording you. I have to go…" Caroline began to tell him

"But…" Klaus began to protest before she switched over calls

"Hello" Caroline answered

* * *

Hanging upside down at the foot of the bed, Klaus looked on the tiny ant that crawled so aimlessly on the ground. He wasn't quite sure why the ant caught his attention, but the fact that something as tiny as ant could be so careless to walk around in the open as it just waited to be killed. Twiddling his hands on his chest, Klaus hoped that he would spark some bit of excitement within his house but found that the excitement he craved was nowhere to be found. Every book, had been read. Every crossword puzzle had been solved. His mind was cluttered with victims he had killed that blocked him from drawing. Nothing was coming to mind for him as he sat up on the bed. Hearing the door open furiously from downstairs as it slammed shut, Klaus quickly rolled off the bed onto his side. Not having enough time to complain about how he fell on his arm, Klaus got up from the floor, grabbed the nearest weapon before making his way down the staircase. Like a hunter, Klaus cautiously walked with his weapon drawn before she finally appeared.

"Gah!" Klaus yelled as he attempted to attack

"Aww!" Caroline said as she held her hand up in defense but had managed to get in a good jab.

"Caroline" Klaus said through gritted teeth before he realized that that he had been stabbed with the letter opener

"Who the hell carries a letter opener as a weapon!" Caroline said in a panic as she saw blood coming from his entrance wound in which he was struck

"People that have intruders" Klaus replied through gritted teeth

"You're not people" Caroline replied only to realize that it was a good justification as to why she stabbed him "Sorry" she mouthed

"Just get the soddin' thing out of me" Klaus growled as she quickly brought her hands to her chest

"Okay, no need to be a grouch" Caroline told as she braced herself

"You. Stabbed me!" Klaus yelled

"And I said I was sorry" Caroline replied before she finally pulled the letter opener out of his chest.

"What are you even doing here?" Klaus asked after he made it through the pain of the opener being removed from his chest

"I came by to get a book" Caroline lied as Klaus looked at her quizzically

"A book? You don't make a habit to read" Klaus asked as he found that hard to believe

"That's not true, I read…." Caroline began to say

"You're lying" Klaus quickly replied

"How do you know that?" Caroline asked as she hit him in the chest unknowingly before Klaus hunched over in pain "Sorry" she then told him

"I know because you do this smile and twitch, so I know you're lying" Klaus told her "Now why are you here?" he asked

"Because Elena and Bonnie decided to up and leave for the cabins with their boyfriends. So my plans for today have been screwed because I have no best friends and I'm stuck with you" Caroline blurted out as he just looked at her on the last part "Sorry, I was riding that whole honesty thing we have going" she told him

"So what? You come by and just think I want you here?" Klaus asked in disbelief as Caroline just gave him a look

"What, like you don't want me here?" Caroline questioned before Klaus took a moment to think then walked past her "Okay, it's a bit presumptuous but you can't deny that you're bored and you clearly need something or someone" she said

"I have Robert" Klaus replied as he headed into his study "I have my studio, so as you can see, I have plenty of options that don't concern you" he told her as she followed behind

"How about the uncompelled persuasion? I know you don't have that" Caroline said before Klaus quickly turned to look at her

"Do you enjoy mocking me?" Klaus questioned

"Do you enjoy mocking me?" Caroline asked in response as he just gave her a look

"We have nothing in common" Klaus then stated

"You don't know that, we could have something" Caroline reasoned

"There's nothing, I know it" Klaus quickly dispelled as Caroline looked at him with a bit of suspicion "You know that's what I gathered last" he said to play off the fact that he watched her

"Why don't you want to hang out with me?" Caroline asked

"Because…you annoy me" Klaus replied before he quickly continued to walk just as Robert came out to set the table with the prepared lunch

"He fancies you" Robert blurted out before Klaus glared over at him

"Tell me something I don't know" Caroline shrugged before Klaus turned to look back her once more "You fancy me, so you should a willing participant in hanging out with me" she told him

"I don't fancy you. You're my only source to the outside world, so I tolerate the little aspects of you" Klaus said as he attempted to turn around before Caroline grabbed onto his hand. Turning his attention towards their connected hands, Klaus did all he could to keep his head, but found that them actually touching sent him into overdrive. Snatching his hand away, Klaus didn't want to run the risk of her noticing his heart rate speeding up

"Don't fight this" Caroline told him "We need each other because I have no need to be bored while my friends are off having fun. So now, we need to have fun" she said "I'm not letting you say no to me!" she then yelled

"Yelling isn't flattering" Klaus told her before she quickly walked past him

"I don't care" Caroline said as she walked off to head upstairs "Meet me at the pool" she said as she ascended the staircase

* * *

He hadn't really known the property all too well, the only thing Klaus knew was that the house was big. As a kid growing up in poverty stricken villages, Klaus could always remember talking about a three village wide house that would be big enough for each of his brothers and sisters to live like kings. Mikael had always shot down his dreams as being that of dreams, but Klaus couldn't help but want the dream throughout the centuries. So when it came to finding a house that was suitable for his family that had spent half of those wandering centuries carrying his family around in boxes, but when it came to the grand revealing, it had to be big. Looking on at the water within the rectangle outline of the indoor area, Klaus rubbed his arms together as he wasn't sure why he even bothered to go along with her plan. Observing the area, Klaus tried to get himself familiar with what was supposed to be achieved with water in an enclosed rectangle before Caroline quickly opened the door to make her way in. Tearing his attention away from the water, Klaus looked over like a lost little boy that was unsure of what he was supposed to do while she seemed more confident than ever.

"Shirt, you wear a shirt to the pool?" Caroline questioned

"I don't really make a habit of coming to the pool. So I'm sorry I'm dressed appropriately?" Klaus replied sarcastically

"Yet another strange thing about you" Caroline muttered before she relieved herself of her shirt to reveal her bare upper back that drove Klaus speechless. Trying his best to look away as he was unsure if she was planning to undress, Klaus couldn't help but feel his heart rate speed up as the mere thought of her being naked sent him into a fit of nerves.

"Are you suppose to be undressing?" Klaus fumbled through the words as he turned away to give her the privacy she may need

"I'm not undressing. I'm in a bikini" Caroline replied as she looked over to see him shielding his eyes "Which you don't see often I presume?" she asked

"I barely knew I had a pool, so I barely saw bikinis as you call them" Klaus replied as she took a seat on the edge of the pool so that she could dip her feet in

"The waters warm, so it won't be bad" Caroline smiled

"Should it be bad?" Klaus questioned

"Only if you want to dive into a iceberg" Caroline told him "Put your feet in" she told him

"What's the point?" Klaus asked

"To get adjusted…just do as I say" Caroline told him

"I don't like to make a habit of following orders. Turns out badly and all" Klaus replied as Caroline just shook her head

"I assure you that I'm not going to magically kill you with water. I had a better shot with the letter opener" Caroline said as he groaned in frustration before he finally agreed to do oblige her wish. Nervously as he began to sit down, Klaus kept a close eye on the water as he feared what it might do. It was strange, but Klaus felt fear when it came to water for some odd reason. Sitting across from her, Caroline laughed as she couldn't help but find it hilarious at how much of a scaredy cat he was deep down. "The big bad Original is afraid of water. Who knew?" she laughed

"I'm not!" Klaus quickly threatened

"You're looking at the water like it's going to pull a stake out on you" Caroline reasoned "That's classic scared of water symptom" she said

"I don't have to be here" Klaus replied

"Yeah, you do. You live here or are trapped here" Caroline told him as he finally took his seat and shoved his feet into the water

"There, you happy?" Klaus asked her as he held his hands up to show his progress that he had made all on his own

"Bravo" Caroline laughed as she clapped for him "Now remove your shirt" she told him

"You'll need to offer me dinner and picture show before that happens" Klaus replied

"I've seen you without your shirt on, so I don't think the courting is necessary, especially since I'm not interested" Caroline replied "Now take your shirt off" she said before he pulled his shirt over his head to toss it to the side. Though she had seen him shirtless before Caroline still found his package to be quite impressive as she never pegged him as the fit type. Noticing him looking over at him, Caroline tried to play off that she was looking longer than she should at his abs before she hopped into the pool. Following her lead, Klaus carefully got into the pool as he recognized that water was surrounding him to where it engulfed him. Klaus felt a sense of panic come over him as his fear reached an all time high.

"I need to get out" Klaus said before he attempted to get out of the pool but Caroline had managed to grab on to his shoulder to stop him from leaving

"It's okay" Caroline tried to reassure him

"No, water is everywhere. We can't be in here. We can't" Klaus said as he shook his head nervously

"It's just water…" Caroline began to say

"It's not just water!" Klaus quickly retorted to the statement which caught Caroline off guard

"Look, I'm sorry about teasing you about being afraid of water, but I promise you that you will be fine" Caroline told "Just trust me, you trust me right?" she asked as she grabbed on to both of his hands before she slowly lead him out to the middle of the pool "You're okay" she soothed him

"Our feet, they don't touch…why aren't they touching?" Klaus asked as he looked down at his feet to see they floated about

"Because we're floating" Caroline replied

"Should we be?" Klaus asked

"Yes. We should be" Caroline smiled "Now, I'm going to let you go but once I do, I want you to relax and float" she told him

"I don't…I can't" Klaus replied

"Yes, you can" Caroline told him "Just relax" she said as she waited a few moments to make sure that he was calm before doing any other movements that might scare him. Finally coming to the conclusion that he was fine, Caroline slowly let go of his hand as he looked around him nervously

"What…what's happening?" Klaus asked as he felt his weight be taken by the water

"You're floating" Caroline smiled "And yes, that's good" she told him for reassurance. Hitting his hand against the water, Klaus found that his fears had only made him a coward because there was clearly nothing to fear. Hitting his hand up against the water once more, Klaus couldn't help but smile as he enjoyed something else carrying the brunt of his weight for once.

"I'm floating" Klaus began to laugh like an idiot

"I see that" Caroline smiled as he continued to smack his hand against the water to where it splashed over towards her "And now you're splashing" she said to herself as she observed how care free he had become

"I'm splashing" Klaus laughed before a sudden idea came to him. Looking over at Caroline, Klaus pushed his hands forward as he splashed water over in her direction.

"Klaus!" Caroline laughed before she splashed the water back at him as they engaged in a full on water fight.

* * *

As they got out of the pool, Klaus felt an immediate surge go through his body as if it were sparking the soul in him. Looking back to see Caroline drying herself off with her towel that Robert had given to her, Klaus took this time to escape the area on his own. Wrapping the towel around the top half of his body, Klaus made his way down the hall before he reached the side entrance to the hallway. Immediately making his way inside to his room, Klaus threw the towel off before he immediately walked up to the mirror in the corner of his room to look on at where his wound used to be. Still having the ability to heal quickly with the wounds that didn't break too far past the layers of skin, Klaus began to touch his chest as if he were expecting the spark to happen again. There was no doubt that since having the soul his body was going through changes, but whether Klaus was ready to accept the changes that went along with having the soul was something he had yet to determine. Looking in the top corner of the mirror, Klaus saw images of his mother fade in and out that had startled him a bit. Just as he seemed to settle with his mother's daunting figure fade in and out, Klaus nearly jumped with surprise as he saw images of Mikael appear. Turning quickly, Klaus felt as if he were having a panic attack at the prospects of seeing his step father. Entering his bedroom, Caroline still laughed at care free Klaus was but found that his emotions had quickly changed once she saw him breathing heavily. Alarmed by his change in behavior, Caroline stood in the doorway for a moment as she watched him for a few moments while all he could do was look on at an unseen object.

"You shouldn't be here" Klaus said as he tried to get control of his breathing

"I just came to see where you were" Caroline defended

"You shouldn't roam around. This isn't your place, you can't just roam about!" Klaus snapped at her

"I'm not trying to…" Caroline began to apologize

"Yes, you are!" Klaus yelled

"You don't have to be an asshole" Caroline replied before she quickly turned around and made her way down the stairs while Klaus reluctantly chased behind as he immediately regretted his behavior

"Caroline. Wait" Klaus pleaded with her as he grabbed hold to her arm

"Let go of me" Caroline snapped at him as she pulled her arm away from him

"I'm sorry. I just…I don't like be snuck up on" Klaus reasoned

"Snuck up on? You knew I was here. I wasn't trying to surprise you" Caroline reasoned "So you'll need a better excuse than that" she told him

"I'm not trying to lie to you" Klaus replied as she began to gather her things

"Than you're clearly trying to be an ass, which is strange because I stupidly thought you would at least be somewhat nicer, seeing as you were acting like a human in the pool…" Caroline began to say

"I'm not human, you're not even human" Klaus muttered

"You know what I mean" Caroline replied

"I said I was sorry, now get over it" Klaus told her

"Okay, when you say you're sorry, you don't demand the person to get over it. They determine if they can get over it, and in this moment, it was mistake to even come here…" Caroline began to say before Klaus quickly grabbed her and pulled her into a kiss. With his lips crashed against hers, Caroline held her hands up in shock as she couldn't believe that he was actually kissing her. Pushing him off of her, Caroline stood stunned as she had no idea as to why he would do such a thing "Really?" she asked

"I just thought…" Klaus began to reason

"You weren't thinking" Caroline replied

"I thought I was supposed to kiss you" Klaus told her

"How do you come up with that?" Caroline asked in disbelief

"Because. I see it all the time, I read it…we fight then get all worked up and then the union happens" Klaus struggled to explain his thought process

"No, that's not how it happens" Caroline said as she wiped her mouth free of his lips "What's going on with you? You go from yelling at me to then thinking you should kissing me" she replied

"I'm sorry about the lips…the kiss and…" Klaus fumbled for words

"Just let it go" Caroline told him as he simply nodded in agreement as they shared an awkward look with each other before she grabbed her bag once more.

"You don't have to leave" Klaus told her

"I'm going to change" Caroline replied as she held her bag up to show the extra clothes she had, Klaus was relieved to see that she didn't scare her off.

* * *

With the night time beginning to set in, Caroline had kept her distance a bit from Klaus as she wasn't sure why he felt the need to kiss her. Caroline knew that Klaus had liked her, but she had always figured that with their obvious division of good and bad, he'd realize that there wasn't any possible shot that they could ever happen. Sitting with her book in hand, Caroline struggled to make it through the pages as she felt no real connection with the book to understand what the teacher wanted her to learn. Entering the room with his book of choice, Klaus didn't appear to be too happy about reading the selection as she was sure that he had read everything in his reach. Caroline knew from their conversations that he was worldly, but his love off all things art was something that caught her by surprise. He'd find boredom in the simple things of not being able to read a new adventure than enjoy an indoor swimming pool and a live in compelled butler, what was wrong with him? She asked herself as she just shook her head in disbelief.

"You resort to silent mocking now?" Klaus asked as he didn't have to look up from his book to notice her

"How'd you even know?" Caroline asked as she looked over to see him still looking down at the pages of his book

"I don't have to see you to know what you're doing" Klaus replied

"Is that a vampire thing? That's a trait I have yet to master" Caroline replied

"No, it's more like a you thing" Klaus replied as he looked up to catch her stare

"Have you ever read Anna Karenina?" Caroline asked after a few moments of silence

"Leo Tolstoy. I believe I have" Klaus seemed a bit intrigued "You struggling with it?" he asked as he put his book to the side

"No, I'm not struggling…okay, yes I'm struggling" Caroline admitted "This stuff doesn't interest me" she said

"Why? Because it's not one of your fashion picture books" Klaus asked

"The term would be magazine, and I'd much prefer to read that than this. It's not as complicated" Caroline told him as she laid back on the sofa to get more comfortable "Books shouldn't be this complicated" she stated

"Books really aren't sweetheart" Klaus replied "The meanings are in your interpretation of the words" she said

"Yeah well, my interpretations aren't adding up to much" Caroline said as she sighed

"Why do you always do that?" Klaus quickly asked

"Do what?" Caroline asked

"Discount that you have anything valuable to say or think" Klaus said as he stared at her intently to show he was being serious

"School wasn't really my thing, and it's clearly beginning to show. High school was about popularity and parties, which is odd because in college, I'm not that into the party scene as much" Caroline reasoned "I don't do good in the analyzing phase of things" she told him before he got up from where he sat to take a seat on the sofa she laid out on. Picking up her feet, Klaus urged her to sit up while he grabbed the book from her hands. "What are you doing?" she asked as she saw him feverishly flip through the book

"All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in their own way. What does that mean to you?" Klaus asked as he read the first part from the book

"I don't know…things are different from happy and unhappy families" Caroline concluded

"Would you put actual thought behind it?" Klaus replied as he just looked her in hopes that she would try a bit harder

"What's the point?" Caroline asked

"Just try" Klaus urged her

"Fine" Caroline sighed as she began to think "Being happy, I guess is something that's the same. Nothing special about being happy because it's either you are or you aren't. Accepting that one bit of you is unhappy for whatever reason, it makes you different. We all are unhappy for different reasons, but happiness is something that is so general where it just is what it is" she said in a cloud of confusion as to where she was drawing her inspiration from to answer. Realizing that it made perfect sense to her after she thought about it, Caroline looked over at Klaus to see that a smile slowly came to his face

"And you found your answer" Klaus smiled

"I guess I did" Caroline said as she just looked at him

"You're smart, maybe that's something you should start accepting" Klaus told her

"How is it that you can be an ass and then be nice?" Caroline asked as she just laughed to herself

"There's no expectations" Klaus told her "As much as I want to be good, I can't" he told her

"You can be, you have been" Caroline said

"To you, I've been nice to you for the obvious reasons" Klaus told her as Caroline was once again reminded of his feelings for her "If and when this spell is lifted, you have to know that my intent will be the same as before" he told her

"I get that, but I think it's a cop out" Caroline told him

"How?" Klaus asked "I didn't just stop to sight see and then became so enamored with Mystic Falls that I decided to live here" he said sarcastically

"No, you use the person you were…" Caroline began to say

"I'm not a person, I'm a creature" Klaus corrected

"Well you're wrong. You're not a creature" Caroline retorted "You tell yourself what they told you because it justifies what you do or think. You allow yourself to believe that you deserve to be alone, but you never open yourself up to the possibility that this may be your one shot to be Nikolaus" she told him

"That's a bit of stretch. He died, my parents made sure of that. Any trace of Nikolaus from my father to my mother is dead" Klaus replied

"They made you think you were some black sheep, so naturally we believe the things our parents tell us because…they're our parents" Caroline told him as she seemed to be more intent than ever to prove to him "I've seen glimpses of who you could be, and I believe that you can be more than what you think of yourself…more than what they think of you" she reasoned

"I've killed. I've killed for pleasure and pain, I don't get to turn back the clock and be Nikolaus. I am what I am" Klaus told her

"And you've also shown that you can be good" Caroline quickly replied

"Don't do that, you're setting yourself up for a huge disappointment love" Klaus laughed to himself

"Or I could be saying what you're thinking but fear it's the craziest idea ever" Caroline told him "Klaus or Nikolaus, whatever you think that you can be, you can be a good person" she said

"I'll factor that in" Klaus shrugged

"We'll make a pact, I'll start believing I'm smart as long you start believing that you can be good" Caroline proposed

"And if I don't choose to be?" Klaus asked

"Then you lose me…I mean it, I'm not going to let you hurt the people I care about, but most of all, I'm not going to watch you hurt what you could become" Caroline told him as she extended her hand towards him "Do we have a deal?" she asked as he looked at her hand more scared than ever.

* * *

**Authour's Note: I hope you all enjoyed the chapters. I know it might be a stretch for Klaus to have a pool, but I wanted them to do something normal and that would reveal some skin. Slowly but surely the tension is beginning to build for them in that sexual sense, and I assure the combustion will be coming soon for that M rating to start kicking in. So hang in there.**


	8. Ties that Bond

**Author's Note: Thank you all for your reviews, I truly appreciate them. That was the most reviews I've received for a chapter, so I hope that I can keep you guys enthused for more. So I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

**Monster**

**Chapter Eight- Ties that Bond**

* * *

Smelling the aroma's of Robert's baking come from within the dining area, Caroline groaned as it was just another pleasant distraction that she had to endure in her attempt to be smart. Caroline wasn't sure if it was her pact that she initiated with Klaus that made her make an honest effort, but she couldn't help but want to try for herself in the end. She was going to try, and if she failed at being smart, then she at least knew that she gave it a shot to me more than what she thought she was. In Caroline's mind, she had hope, but the realist in her still managed to creep in to keep her from getting disappointed in the end. Writing down notes as she read, Caroline found that if she jotted down what was going on in her mind during the time of reading then she'd be able to recount easier when it came to questions. Coming in from another frustrated attempt of trying to draw in his studio, Klaus seemed a bit surprised to see that Caroline was becoming a frequent fixture in the house. Like clockwork, Robert brought out Klaus's prepared snack for the evening, which was mostly Robert sneaking in Klaus's daily dose of blood in his drink without him noticing and becoming guilty about it.

"You know love, if you wanted to join the dark side, all you have to do is ask. There's no need to become such a permanent fixture" Klaus teased as he took a seat across from her at the table

"I'm not becoming a permanent fixture" Caroline protested as she reached out to grab a cookie from Klaus's plate "Since when do you like cookies?" she asked

"I like cookies" Klaus replied as Caroline looked at him strangely

"You're weird. Has anyone ever told you that?" Caroline asked as she was unable to hide her laughter "You're a big bad Original, and oh, you like cookies" she continued to laugh hysterically

"It's not funny" Klaus replied

"It really is" Caroline laughed as she found it hard to stay upright with her laughter in the seat. Trying his best to remain firm and strong on the stance, but found a laugh escape him. "See! See! You can't even hold it" she declared

"So I happen to fancy a cookie from time to time, that's not abnormal" Klaus replied

"I suppose. I just never would take you for cookies, pastries, and other delicious desserts that you have Robert whipping up" Caroline said

"Robert's gone mad. You know the bloke was once a chef in his uncompelled life" Klaus told her as he munched on his cookie

"Bloke? What does that mean? teach me the british way, you say all these british phrases in the random moments" Caroline asked "I mean I feel like this is just some secret language you're trying to keep from me, I've never been that intrigued with your bouts of British, but you say these phrases so often that I want to know" she smiled

"Well, Bloke is a boy slash man. Knackered is tired. Soddin' is damn. Bloody is like freakin in your terminology" Klaus explained to her

"So you're a bloke, who gets knackered every other hour, which is a soddin' shame, and I bloody hell hate it" Caroline said as she held her hands up in victory, feeling like she successfully picked up his terminology

"Keep trying love" Klaus told her as he wiped the corners of his mouth with his napkin before pushing the tray away

"And love, what is that?" Caroline asked

"Term of endearment" Klaus smirked at her "….should I explain fancy?" he then asked before he realized he was shamelessly flirting with her as they both exchanged glances with each other before the doorbell rang. Going to answer the door, Klaus tore his attention away from Caroline for a moment before he got up from his seat to pour himself a glass of bourbon at the bar.

"This whole Wuthering Heights is actually quite interesting" Caroline said as she picked up the book to look on at the cover before Robert walked back in with a bit of a confused look on his face.

"Mr. Klaus" Robert said as Klaus looked over at Robert to quickly notice what he held in his hand. Setting his drink down, Klaus quickly walked over to grab the gift wrapped dagger from his hand while Caroline joined them "I found this at the doorstep" he told him

"Who sent it?" Caroline asked as she grabbed the dagger from Klaus's hand

"Didn't say" Robert replied "Shall I go to the courier?" he asked seeking advice from his master while Klaus walked over towards the window to look out at the open pasture to see the lean figure standing out by the tree so casually.

"Who would send you a dagger with a ribbon on it?…scratch that statement, who have you pissed off recently?" Caroline asked before she took a moment to think

"I still have time, I can track down whoever sent this?" Robert asked once more

"That won't be necessary" Klaus replied before he turned back to look at Caroline and Robert

"Why?" Caroline asked as she noticed no panic in Klaus

"Because I know who sent this" Klaus told them "My brother. Kol sent this" he told them

* * *

Closing the door behind him, Klaus looked out at the pasture to see his brother standing out by the stream skipping rocks. It was hard for Klaus to believe that his brother could perceive to be so innocent, but held so much vengeance that it scared Klaus from time to time. Walking out towards his brother, Klaus made sure to keep in mind where the boundary line was for him as he didn't want his brother see his weakness. Turning to face his brother as he walked towards him, Kol let a smile creep on his face as it felt like a Christmas morning to see that his brother was doing okay in the face of things. Watching closely to where the tree in the far off distance lied, Klaus used the tree as his marker before he finally realize that he was well within the boundary so he need not worry any longer. Stopping to face Kol, they both stood face to face in silence as if they needed to visually see that the other was okay. Slowly walking towards Klaus, Kol wrapped his arms around his brother as he embraced him with much love and affection.

"It's good to see you brother" Kol said as he broke away from his embrace

"Likewise" Klaus replied

"Heard about the witches spell, I was halfway cross the world but I knew I had to see for my own eyes" Kol told him "Have they hurt you?" he asked

"No, its but a mere spell to keep in place of our original land" Klaus told him as he conveniently left out the fact that he had regained his soul

"Times like this would come use for Maddox" Kol concluded

"Yeah, I'm not sure Maddox would've advised my need to stay. We're all in undesirable positions" Klaus laughed weakly

"I doubt that Elijah has received word or else I know he would've come to bargain for you" Kol told him

"I don't want Elijah involved" Klaus quickly replied

"There's no time to have pride be the stance on your imprisonment" Kol told him "We're family. We protect each other" he said

"I don't want Elijah's protection" Klaus replied "The last thing I need is Elijah's need for me to fall in line" he scoffed

"So what? You accept this witchery…you become weak?" Kol questioned

"No, I accept nothing. I will find a way, but I need to on my own time" Klaus replied as Kol took a moment to study his brother's facial expression as a silence came between them "How is she?" he then asked as the thought weighed heavily on his mind

"She hated to leave you, but she's working to save you" Kol told him "Bekkah's persistence will win out, if not then Elijah will have to be told" he said

"I appreciate the loyalty but it's unnecessary in this time" Klaus replied

"Unnecessary?" Kol questioned

"Brother, I assure you this will be the longstanding debate between us, but I'd rather enjoy the company of family than spend time worrying about the wishes of my enemies" Klaus said as he placed his hand on Kol's shoulder

"I hardly think good times are to be had with you locked away in your dungeon" Kol laughed

"I'm sure you conjure up a memorable evening. Show your brother what a good time is in your eyes" Klaus mocked knowing Kol was naïve as he was young

"I see the lady you fancy has come, is this mere tactic?" Kol asked with a bit of smirk "Do I sense you're beginning the phases of your attack?" he asked

"My lips are sealed, for tonight we drink" Klaus said as he dodged any question about Caroline because he knew his best acting would have to be saved.

* * *

Watching Robert move about in the oversized guest room as he placed linens on the bed, Klaus stood in the doorway with folded arms unsure of how he felt about his brother's visit. Kol in his own way looked up to Klaus, but Klaus knew that Kol also had the tendency to want to be the man of the family. His desire to want to be the head of the family was good, but his intentions dabbled in lines of recklessness. Klaus had been reckless with his own means of seizing what he wanted, but what made the brother's different was there means of strategy. Sensing her every bit of disapproval of from Caroline, Klaus knew that she had to wade the lines of making sure that Kol would be no threat to her own friends, but she didn't want to come across as some sort of a snitch. Growing tired of hearing her thoughts run amuck in her, Klaus turned to face the blonde as she was unable to hide the concern on her face.

"It'd be better if you left love" Klaus told her as he walked past her towards his room while she followed behind.

"Why's he here?" Caroline asked

"He's family, you know, people that just pop up randomly because they can" Klaus teased

"I'm not being funny. If Damon gets wind…" Caroline began to say

"Do as you must then" Klaus replied "He is my brother. I can not turn him away, nor will I do so voluntarily" he told her

"I get that, but with the previous lie I've all ready said in an attempt to help you. Kol's presence will only make things a bit suspicious with the spell and all" Caroline told him

"Then let it be" Klaus reasoned

"Do you not understand what I'm saying?" Caroline asked

"I do, I understand perfectly. This is your doing, your spell that you and your friends have conjured up. I never agreed to abide to the guidelines like some whipping boy. If you fear me and my family, then gather up to come up with your solutions" Klaus told her sternly

"Would you tell me? If Kol came back to help you lift the spell, would you tell me?" Caroline asked in a moment of vulnerability

"At the end of the day, my loyalty has to be towards myself" Klaus told her as they stared intently at each other. Caroline hated the response, but she had to give him credit for being honest.

"What are you guys going to do tonight?" Caroline then asked randomly as Klaus just looked at her weirdly "It's a common question" she reasoned

"That's what scares me the most about the question" Klaus replied before he heard the doorbell ring. Immediately making his way out of his room, Klaus practically ran down the staircase while Caroline could only sigh as she hated the conundrum that she was in. Opening up the door, Klaus stood back in shock as he expected to see his brother but the group of ladies behind him had been the shock to him.

"Niklaus, I have my version of a good time" Kol smiled proudly before he motioned for the girls to enter the house as they were each scantly clad in their lingerie "Make yourself at home ladies" he then called out

"What is this?" Klaus asked as he walked over towards his brother

"My gift to you brother" Kol smiled "A man under lock and key would surely have some pent up frustrations in him" he said as he looked over at Caroline standing at the bottom of the staircase "But I would hate to have interrupted your own party" he said as he walked past Klaus towards Caroline

"Kol" Klaus said trying to call his brother back

"Pleasure to meet again" Kol smiled as he kissed Caroline's hand

"Wish I could say the same" Caroline replied with a disgusted look on her face

"Testy, now I remember why I liked you" Kol laughed

"A bunch of naked girls? that's your idea of a good time?" Caroline questioned as she looked on at the girls

"The company of a woman is always a desirable thing" Kol smiled "You should stay, I hardly believe you'd be the conservative type" he teased

"Kol, leave your cheeky remarks for the twits" Klaus told his brother

"I can handle myself" Caroline told Klaus as she looked at him sternly, which caught him off guard

"I do believe this is the part where you leave love" Klaus told her as he looked at her sternly

"You won't seem to answer my questions, I guess I have to stick around for my own answers" Caroline replied as she stepped off the bottom step to show that she was standing with the brothers

"Leave" Klaus told her

"I think I'll be a twit tonight, that is what you called them, right?" Caroline asked as Klaus glared at her while all Kol could do was laugh at the tension that was between them

"You know what brother, I do believe my frustrations have reached it's peak. I've been a bit pent up as you call it, nothing that a good old fashion brothel won't cure" Klaus said as his cunning smile came to his face that reminded Caroline of Klaus's darkest days "So glad you've returned" he said as he stared at Caroline for a bit before he turned his attention towards the girl he would approach. Noticing his attention towards the brunette, Caroline began to feel like her plan had began to backfire as her only shot to keep an eye on Klaus had turned into a dangerous cat and mouse game that she'd have to wait out.

"Klaus…" Caroline began to say

"Have at it brother" Kol smiled as he snapped his fingers for the brunette to come over towards them.

"Okay, first of all, you don't even strike me as a playboy type. You can play you're game, but it won't change anything" Caroline told him as the brunette grabbed on to Klaus's hand

"Hello" The brunette said in a seductive tone while all Caroline was look on in disgust at how the girl was throwing herself at Klaus

"Your presence is no longer my concern love" Klaus said as he passed by Caroline with the brunette in tow as they headed down the hallways of the house.

"Because that's classy" Caroline called out in retaliation so Klaus would know how she felt about the matter of him and the brunette "Try uncompelling her and then we can...he's all ready gone" she began to say before she realize that Klaus was no longer in sight.

"My brother. Oh, how I envy you" Kol smiled vindictively as Caroline grew more and more disgusted with the younger brother of Klaus "Care to escape to our own private room?" he asked smugly

"There is not enough alcohol in the world that allow me to do so" Caroline replied as she tried to figure out where Klaus went off to but found that she had lost him in the bevy of girls that walked around so freely

"How about we get the alcohol flowing then old chap?" Kol asked as he waved for Robert to come over "Niklaus likes to take his time, so maybe you'd do better leaving" he whispered to Caroline before he walked off with two girls draped on his arm

"I don't like the look of this" Robert told Caroline with much concern on his face

"Just get the alcohol" Caroline sighed knowing this was going to be a long night "I can't believe he went for the brunette" she then said to herself.

* * *

Sipping on her glass of bourbon, Caroline grew to like the darkened liquor as it was the only that allowed her to play like she was more interested in getting drunk than getting laid. On occasion, some of the girls would make a pass at her to head upstairs, but since she was neither interested or had the time to play around, Caroline used her glass of bourbon to get out of any situation. For the past two hours, Caroline had walked frivolously through the house in search of Klaus as she began to hate how big the house was instead of admire it like she once had before. More and more as the night waned, Caroline began to wonder if telling Damon about Kol's return was something that she should do because it was obvious that Kol appealled more to Klaus's darker side. Spotting Klaus come out of one the rooms, Caroline wasted no time in breaking character as she nearly ran over to retrieve him. Grabbing on to his hand with much protest from him, Caroline used every bit strength she had to tug him into the spare room.

"Okay, you've had your adulterate fun, what's he up to?" Caroline asked

"What are you talking about?" Klaus asked

"Kol, why is he here?" Caroline asked "I get the whole you miss family, but Kol's behavior is creepy and disturbing, that spells he's up to something" she told him

"He is my brother!" Klaus replied sternly

"Yes, and he's also up to something! I feel it, I know this" Caroline said

"Answer me this, do you think I'm just supposed to sit here patiently until you and your friends relinquish me from this spell? I mean do you honestly think I should become the whipping boy, because to me…that's not a man, and above all else, I will keep my pride" Klaus told her

"Now you want your pride? What happened to that pride when you were trying to be the focal point of a bon fire or begging me to kill you?" Caroline asked

"You can throw my moments in my face all you want, but you are wrong" Klaus growled at her

"I knew you'd do this. I knew you'd screw me over the first chance you got!" Caroline scolded him

"What?" Klaus asked

"This! This all apart of your sick Original family party thing" Caroline replied

"My family is off limits!" Klaus yelled "I said I would try to be better, you assumed I would just hop in excitedly to this pact because what? Because I fancy you?" he asked

"No, because I'm the only one that has stuck their neck out for you" Caroline replied "I stupidly keep thinking that a good person could claw it's way out of you…and yes, I know that you're not a person" she stated

"You do so because you're assigned. So spare me the kindness out of your heart bit because we both know that once I get the go ahead to be killed, you'll celebrate as you did the last time" Klaus replied

"That was different" Caroline replied "You were ruining my relationship" she told him

"Because that sounded better, especially since you're bloke of a boyfriend was nothing more than a momentary love" Klaus quickly retorted

"Hey! Don't get all british on me" Caroline said "Yes, I celebrated but c'mon…you had that coming. You were the villain, and in that day, good triumphed. So yes, I celebrated. I celebrated because there was a glimmer of hope that you might actually leave us all alone" she told him hoping that he would understand

"You're just as worse as they are" Klaus said in disbelief as he just looked at her

"I'm trying to help you…" Caroline began to say

"Save it" Klaus said as he put his hand up for her to stop talking "You come because it's convenient to you. You come because you won't be asked as to why you choose to be in the company of a monster than in the company of your friends, who are moving on to better things while poor Caroline is lost and confused within her life of bad romances. You come because you know I won't ask you to leave. You play on my feelings for you because you know I don't expect anything in return" he said as Caroline found herself at a loss for words with what he was telling her "You don't care about me, and that's becoming vividly clear as day" he told her "You like the idea of the good controlled vampire, the Original that is supposed to turn over a new leaf because of this soul" he told her as he walked closer towards her

"And what's wrong with that?" Caroline asked

"Because it's not me! I'm not a bloody good boy, I never was and will never be" Klaus exclaimed "You want to find you, well I want someone to accept me. As I am, mistakes and all, I want to be accepted as I am" he told her "I may be good or I may be bad, but I deserve to accepted as I am and not who you want me to be" he told her as the silence grew between them "So if that pact was about keeping me in check, so you have to worry a little less then it's done. I lose you because the funny thing is….I never had you to begin with" he said before he opened up the door to leave

"Klaus, wait" Caroline said as she grabbed on to his arm

"No, I've ignored it long enough but I need to accept that you're the enemy, and destroying you has to be my focus. So call Damon, tell him whatever you bloody hell want" Klaus replied before he tore his arm away from her then left the room. Struggling with what she should do, Caroline opened up the door to look out at Kol embrace his brother once more as they seemed to be happy as ever. Feeling a bit of her heart being tugged at in the worst of ways, Caroline knew that she had to entertain the thought that regardless of what happy image she wanted to place on Klaus, at the end of the day they were on opposing sides. They were enemies and nothing would change. Closing the door, Caroline walked further into the room before she slowly pulled her phone out, knowing that she couldn't come back from this decision.

* * *

Escaping the madness, Klaus sipped on his glass of bourbon as he tried to dodge Robert's concerned looks that were beyond transparent. In search of his brother, Klaus looked through the crowds of women that seemed to be growing by the minute as his door had become a revolver of women. Though he would once become enamored with the beauties, Klaus found that his early argument with Caroline lingered with him in ways that made any other type of pleasure hard to enjoy as nothing but a distraction. Finding his brother in quite the compromising position in one of the secret rooms, Klaus motioned for Kol to join him on the balcony. Fighting the urge to blow his brother off, Kol reluctantly got up from his spot on the bed as he fought through wanting hands while trying to button up his shirt. Joining Klaus on the balcony, Kol laughed from ear to ear as he could only imagine the praise he would receive from his brother. Standing in silence for a few moments, Kol took in the night sky as he kept glancing over at Klaus for some sort of clarification as to what he wanted. Placing the gift wrapped dagger on the ledge in between them, Kol looked on at the dagger before looking at Klaus.

"What is brother?" Kol asked

"He knows, doesn't he?" Klaus asked as he looked over at Kol intently, which left Kol a bit suspicious as to how much his brother knew "Speak!" he demanded of his brother

"What do you want me to say?" Kol quickly replied

"I want you to tell me that you didn't go against my wishes, and that Elijah has no knowledge of things!" Klaus told him

"He's our brother" Kol reasoned as Klaus groaned in frustration "You're a bloody prisoner Klaus. You're an animal to them!….this is you're freedom" he told his brother

"No, this is you defying my wishes" Klaus told him "How long? How long did you wait before you betrayed me?" he asked as he shoved Kol

"I didn't spite you. I'm trying to save you!" Kol yelled "I came for you. I came to free you, but to be by your side to end this curse that mother has placed on you. Give me credit" he told his brother

"The men that stand by my side in battle have to be those that I can trust, and as usual, you lack in loyalty" Klaus said

"This dagger, this dagger will break the spell. The witches line will decease once it enters it rightful place in the temptress that did this to you. Don't you see, you will be free" Kol told him

"Elijah couldn't have possibly come up with this, because waging a war against witches is by the craziest of ideas" Klaus replied

"Well, Elijah resorted to his books and even groveling to mother, but I knew you well enough to know that you wouldn't accept mother's help. In his careful context, I was able to decipher that destroying the witches line would be able to break this spell of you as well as the curse of the moonstone if possible" Kol told him "This is what you've wanted" he added

"This is all convenient" Klaus snarled "You must learn that convenience is sometimes worse that the journey" he told him

"And it also cuts straight to what you want" Kol replied

"People see want, it's the only recognizable thing. People play on want and make fools of you" Klaus replied "You dagger the witch that did this, and you will start a war among spirits. What would be our move next Kol? What would be our attempt to end the curse?….you have to think five steps ahead even before making the first step" he said as he put much emphasis on point to his brain

"What's keeping you here brother?" Kol asked after a moment of silence came between them "What physical essence makes this home to you? you're home is with your family, not some studio filled with drawn images of family" he told him

"Don't question my love for my family. I live for my family, I've killed for family. So I wouldn't spout another word because I will rip your tongue if you dare question my loyalty" Klaus said as he swiftly pinned Kol up against the wall in a fit of rage

"Then fight back!" Kol yelled as he fount it hard to breath with Klaus's hand pressed to his throat "Be the brother I know" he muttered

"You want to fight for me? You want to be my soldier?….then you do this" Klaus told him "You tell Elijah to stay away. You tell Esther to stay away. You tell everyone to stay away!" he scolded

"Family will always come for you" Kol replied

"I stand alone. I've stood alone, so this time I request the same" Klaus replied as began to loosen up his grip on Kol "This is my war" he told him

"This is your kamikaze mission. Alone you will die, you will lose brother" Kol told him

"Then I will die on my own merits" Klaus said as he relinquished his hold on his brother "I think you should go" he said as he slowly backed away

"You've become pathetic. You've bought into their propaganda" Kol sneered at his brother

"Go" Klaus told him

"You will become a joke. That's all you will be…" Kol said as his words began to ring clearly in Klaus's head

"Go" Klaus said as he tried to drown out his brother's words

"You're pathetic!" Kol said as tears welled up in his eyes as he couldn't take this version of his brother compared

"Go" Klaus said as shook his head before Kol finally realized what this was doing to his brother. Standing in silence, Kol looked on as Klaus hung his head as if he were shamed. Weaker men have stood before Kol in the same manner, but seeing his brother in this state only made his heart wrench of uncertainty. Kol wanted to help, but his desire to see his brother's plan fail seemed to intrigue him as well.

"You have your wish" Kol replied softly as Klaus slowly looked up at his brother to see if he truly meant his words "I don't know this version of you, but I hope that you will find your way back to those who want to stand with you" he told his brother before he walked over towards the door before he left.

* * *

Unable to leave the spot where he last spoke to his brother, Klaus sat out on the balcony for most of the night until the early morning. In that very spot, Klaus watched his brother disappear into the night as his visit had come to a close. Klaus knew that his brother once thought the world of him and his adventures, but Kol couldn't seem to wrap his head around Klaus's stance and at times, Klaus wasn't even sure that it made sense to him. Sitting in the very spot he stood, Klaus just looked out the transformation from night to day, all he could do was think. Think about his life. Think about his mistakes. Think about what he could offer to this world. Think about everything that came to mind, whether he thought it was wishful thinking or an actual concern. Coming up behind him, Klaus felt her presence as it was the only thing that he had come to know. Usually he'd smile at the thought of her being near, but nothing in him felt the need to smile as she cautiously stood behind him.

"I called Damon" Caroline told him as Klaus didn't show any bit of reaction to her words as the silence continued between them

"Did you paint me as the villain that I am?" Klaus asked

"I painted you as obnoxious, cocky, arrogant…" Caroline began to say before Klaus quickly rose from where he sat to face her. Anger present in his face, Caroline knew that he had reached brink of his emotions.

"Get to the point where I'm supposed to care" Klaus snarled at her as he slammed his hand up against the wall that she stood in front of, trapping her with only one option to flee

"I told him that you were a danger to yourself, and I'm not even sure that was a lie" Caroline said as she looked him dead in the eyes

"Am I suppose to thank you for lying?" Klaus asked

"I'm lying to protect you. I'm lying to give you one more day to live because we both know that whatever suicide mission you're planning, you will not stand a chance because that soul won't let you be what you were. You will die of guilt before anything else" Caroline told him before Klaus grabbed her hand in one quick motion as he put it to his chest. Scared and nervous all in one, Caroline found Klaus unpredictable as the look in his eye was something she had never seen before. It was so menacing that even she couldn't understand where his emotions were stemming from.

"I feel blood dripping. I feel anguish over taking the lives of those that would've died of some man made disease. I feel, but the thing of feelings is that they transform you…they linger but they don't become you. I can feel, but that in no means make me weak. So do not play on my feelings because that will be your worst mistake" Klaus told her as he mashed her hand against his chest as the tension between them grew

"You're better than this. Whatever Kol has persuaded you into doing, you're better" Caroline told him

"Stop it!" Klaus yelled "I'm not some pathetic imitation of a man. I don't need you spouting out words of encouragement" he scolded her

"What's wrong with you!" Caroline yelled as she finally pushed him back "Why do you have to make things so damn difficult! Why?" she asked

"Because I like it that way" Klaus retorted "I'm the bastard that doesn't give a damn. My rules, my game" he told her

"This isn't a game? This involves peoples lives" Caroline replied

"I don't give damn" Klaus replied "You think Damon will show the same sympathy towards me? Do you?" he questioned "You may be new to this whole vampire primal instinct, but you kill not be killed. It's how you survive, it's how you live" he went on to say

"Regardless of who gets hurt?" Caroline questioned

"All of that is irrelevant in the kill" Klaus replied "Do you know the things I've done? The people I've killed? Killing your friends would be a cake walk compared to the centuries of torture I've had to endure" he said as the silence grew between them as he walked closer towards her "You are my enemy. Nothing more and nothing less, you mean nothing to me" he told her as if he had to truly state it in order to believe it "You will another added number to the count" he told her as he attempted to touch her cheek but the surprising point was that she brought her hand up to hold his hand against her cheek. Seeing that gesture, Klaus froze as all the words he needed to say to convince her of his darkness had escaped him as with one gesture she managed to capture his silence. Looking at her with tears welled up in his eyes, Klaus pleaded silently for her to be his enemy and not his confidant. "Let go!" he scolded

"No" Caroline replied "You want to make me believe you're the villain, then do it as you are now. Tell me how you'll kill me, don't bring Elena into this, just tell me how you plan to kill me" she demanded of him as she intertwined her finger in his "Tell me" she pleaded as he fought a war within himself to not get sucked into her "Tell me" she said once again

"You mean nothing!" Klaus yelled as he slammed his other hand against the wall to where it caused her to flinch a bit

"I'll protect you, however long it takes for you to deal with the fact you can accept that you can change, that you are changing with this soul…I'll protect you" Caroline said as a tear fell from her eye causing his stance to weaken by the minute "I care, I don't know why, but I care about you. I'm fighting for you to care" she told him

"You fight against me, so I hardly believe you can fight for me" Klaus replied angrily

"A fight is inevitable, but it doesn't have to be now. You want Elena to lift the curse, then fine. I will accept that because it's unfair of me to ask you to give up on something you've fought for so long, but I choose to honor our pact" Caroline told him

"Its useless" Klaus scoffed

"No, it's not because if it were then Kol would be here. Kol would be by your side and you'd be doing everything you could to get the spell lifted. I don't know how or when, but you'd be finding some way to retaliate. The fact that Kol isn't here, that lets me know that you at least want to know the man you could be…and I mean to say man" Caroline told him

"I didn't choose for you or to be good" Klaus replied "So if that's the notion you told Damon than you're wrong" he said

"And that's fine, I don't want to know what lead to his departure, but I know that you were tempted…" Caroline began to say

"You don't know me" Klaus sneered

"I do. As strange as it sounds, I know you" Caroline replied "You were right about everything, I come because it's convenient. I come because everyone that I care about seems to know there place in this world and what they want to do, while I just seem to be drowning in the midst of it all" she told him

"I don't care" Klaus said as he shook his head

"You scare me, you're darkness scares me because I have no idea what you're capable of good or bad. I'm waiting for the good, but I fear the bad will come…I don't want to think about it, but I can't help it with you" Caroline told him

"Then why come around me if you know I'll disappointed you?" Klaus questioned her "Why?" he asked

"I want to see the version you see of me…I want to see that so desperately" Caroline declared

"All I'll ever be is a toy to your affections" Klaus asked as he stepped back before she put her free hand on his cheek as he hesitantly placed his hand on top of hers.

"I will be loyal to you as long as your loyal to me" Caroline told him

"No, I don't buy that. I don't buy it for one second" Klaus said shaking his head in disbelief "You want my loyalty, then you earn it. Loyalty isn't given, you fight for it. So while your words are touching, your actions showed that when you had the choice to believe my brother's visit was that of just a visit or me doing wrong, you chose to see me as in the wrong. I'm not an idiot, I know you will never see me as I see you, and now you come because you fear that you've lost your control on me. So thank you for the words, but I don't accept your loyalty…I need your actions" he told her before he finally broke away from her embrace as she just looked on at him, wondering what she had to do "Please go. I need you to leave" he said as he walked past her and headed inside leaving her in disarray.

* * *

Looking on at the remnants of what was his brother, Klaus folded his arms as he stood in the doorway like he had before his brother's arrival. Still it was yet another moment that he had to say goodbye or accept that his family had left him in his waging war. Though at times Klaus felt like he was in a war in his own mind than an actual war, Klaus always knew that in the end he would have to stand alone. Turning to head downstairs, Klaus casually made his way down the stairs to see Robert cleaning around the foyer area of the house. With a book in his hand, Robert felt relieved to see the simple paperback in his hands as he saw it as a sign of things getting back to normal. Flopping down on the sofa, Klaus rested his head up against the pillow before he found a comforting spot to relax in. Opening up the book to where he left off last before Robert walked into the living room to begin his cleaning where Klaus was. Feeling his eyes on him, Klaus sighed in frustration as he couldn't manage to continue reading with so much attention on him.

"What?" Klaus sighed as he rested his book on top of his chest "What are you staring for old man?" he asked

"Just thinking is all" Robert told him

"Well think silently and stare a little less" Klaus replied as he bended his arm behind his head to where he was resting on it before he attempted to read once more

"I was just thinking about your origin" Robert stated

"My origin?" Klaus questioned

"I mean I assumed that Mr. Kol was your brother due to resemblance, right?" Robert asked

"I'm glad your eyes haven't deceived you, but yes, that was my brother" Klaus sighed "What makes it so pressing for you old man?" he asked

"Because although he dangled the forbidden apple or in the actual scenario, women, you stayed steadfast. I could tell that you had much affection for your brother, but yet you stayed true. I guess…I guess that makes you heroic" Robert smiled

"Oh, come off it" Klaus retorted as he hated the compliments Robert was feeding him

"No, seriously. For most the time, I think you enjoy being in your self made darkness because it's apparently been imposed on you. Though yesterday you held strong" Robert said as a silence came between you "I don't suppose I could draw on experience, but I imagine that it must hurt to see family go. It must hurt to never have a constant home" he said as Klaus couldn't help but think to himself for a moment as Robert's word caused Klaus to draw on what he felt.

"You get used to it" Klaus replied

"But how?" Robert asked

"It's taken me years on top of years to learn this, but I think I've come to the conclusion that family will have many problems but family will be a constant whether you want them or not. Goodbyes feel like their final, hello's seem like a hope for better days, goodnight leads to a better tomorrow, and good morning becomes a prospect for an oncoming memory. Family isn't suppose to be about physical essence, but the ties that connect you. Relying on those ties to keep you together when obstacles try to break those bonds, that's my definition of family now" Klaus told him

"Even if you remain alone?" Robert asked

"We still are bound together" Klaus replied before a knock came to the door causing Klaus to shift his attention towards the door "Oh, how I hope this would be my mother. That'd be the topping on the cake for this crappy week" he said sarcastically as Robert went to go answer the door. Not bothered with who was there, Klaus simply kept reading his book before he heard the sounds of luggage dropping to the floor. Propping himself up to look on at the girl, Klaus sat in confusion as he didn't know what to make of this.

"You want action. I'm giving you action" Caroline replied

"I can see that, but what exactly are you doing?" Klaus asked

"You're smart, you should figure that out" Caroline replied "I'm going to wash up, it's hot and I suspect lunch will he served soon, right?" she looked over at Robert before she made her way upstairs. Getting up from his seat, Klaus walked over to join Robert as they looked on at her climb the staircase.

"Sir, I believe she's moving in" Robert turned to tell him.

* * *

**Author's Note: So I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The little twist at the end and all. I wanted to address Klaus's family issue by sending Kol instead of Elijah or Rebecca because I don't think Rebecca would take to kindly to Caroline hanging around Klaus, that would be instadrama, but that's for later. Overall I wanted to portray that Klaus still loves his family and his family loves him, but it's their constant need to survive that keeps them separated. They each have their own ways of surviving that they don't agree upon, example being the dagger, which could've given Klaus his freedom from the spell, but Klaus didn't trust what the ramifications could lead to afterwards. Kol loved his brother, but he couldn't see his brother like that when he's used to seeing Klaus being powerful. Then the last twist, Klaus knows that Caroline knows how he feels about her, but in this chapter he just tells her that she's not going to play him and he just realizes that because she never recipricates those feelings then he has to realize their on opposing sides. So now Caroline has to back up what she says by truly showing that she cares for Klaus, what that will lead to...who knows :) **


	9. Heat and Fascination

**Monster**

**Chapter Nine- Heat and Fascination**

* * *

The end of summer heat set in as the nights began to feel like a heat wave. The night air brought about the same sweat as did day, where clothes only served as an obstacle to impending cool air that the body craved for. Luckily for Klaus, his body didn't feel the full effects of the heat wave, but he had his bouts with the stubborn heat that had him contemplate dipping into the pool. Sleeping peacefully as he could in his bed, Klaus tossed and turned as he tried to muster through his sleep. Sleep wasn't one of the easiest tasks to do with the voices swirling around in his head. Finally finding a spot of comfort in his bed, Klaus took a deep breath as he tried once more to settle into his sleep. Relaxed and ready to succumb to sleep, Klaus's eyes grew heavy before they slowly began to droop down. Just as he began to drift off to sleep, Klaus was quickly awaken by the sound of pop music glaring from the other side of the wall. Groaning as he sat up, Klaus quickly pulled back the covers before he stormed out of his room to head over next door to him.

"Caroline! Caroline! Caroline!" Klaus yelled as he banged on the door before Robert came rushing up the stairs in a frantic mode

"What is all this noise?" Robert asked still half asleep

"Her bloody music box has gone off" Klaus replied as he turned to look at Robert "Caroline!" he continued to pound on the door

"It's catchy, the music box tune" Robert replied

"I don't care if it's catchy, I'm trying to sleep" Klaus replied a bit annoyed by the statement "Caroline!" he continued to pound

"Do you think something is wrong?" Robert asked

"Yes or it will be because if I can't get a soddin' ounce of sleep then I'll ring her neck for it" Klaus groaned before he attempted to pound on the door once more but found that Caroline had opened the door

"What?" Caroline asked as a toothbrush hung from her mouth and a facial mask that she wore on her face that sent both Klaus and Robert in to a frantic by her night time change

"Your face, it's green" Klaus said as talked over the music while he looked at her

"Yes because I'm trying to exfoliate" Caroline said as too talked over the music

"Can you turn it down?' Klaus shouted

"What?" Caroline asked before Klaus made his way inside the room to turn off the radio she had on. "I was listening to that" she told him

"No, you were trying to blow out your eardrums" Klaus replied "What's with the noise?" he asked

"I was getting ready for bed" Caroline replied

"So you play loud music? That makes no sense. You being here makes no sense" Klaus told her

"And this couldn't wait until morning?" Caroline asked "I'm trying to get some sleep" she told him

"As am I! but you put this bloody music box on" Klaus exclaimed

"It's not a music box. Stop getting yourself all worked up over something small" Caroline told him

"You can't do this. I refuse to lose control of my house, you have to go. You must go" Klaus said as he began to pace the floor

"Should I get tea?" Robert asked trying to lighten up the mood

"Do you want tea?" Caroline laughed "Is this a tea situation, where you're all worked up, does the brit need tea" she teased

"You wanted your point to be made, it's made. Now please go home" Klaus said as he stopped dead in his tracks to look at her

"Oh, no. My point is far from being made. I will get my loyalty if it ends up killing you" Caroline stated

"This is my house" Klaus stated "Which means I make all decisions in regards to said house, and my decision is for you to leave" he

"I can see now that we're going to be the bickering type of roommates" Caroline laughed as she escorted him out

"We're not roommates" Klaus told her as sternly as he could as he began to realize his stance was waning

"Goodnight guys" Caroline told them as Klaus saw that he was standing in the hallway along with Robert while Caroline stood in her room

"This isn't over" Klaus threatened

"It never is" Caroline sighed as he closed the door in their faces. Standing in surprise as he stood on the other side, Klaus clenched his fist tight as he tried to figure out how one blonde could manage to takeover his house without him even realizing it. In the hallway, just Klaus and Robert, both standing without a clue.

"Shall I make tea sir?" Robert asked once more as Klaus turned to look at his trustee butler before he huffed in frustration while he sauntered off towards his room.

* * *

Entering into the kitchen with a smile from ear to ear, Caroline happily took her seat at the table to see that Robert had all ready placed her plate out for her. Though it was the strangest of choices, Caroline found the true perk in being that she got a square meal a day from Robert, which she was sure to make her gain more weight at the end of the month. Describing it as a mere plot to stay one step ahead of Klaus, Caroline knew that her friends nor Damon would understand her sudden rationale to live with Klaus. Surprised that Damon wasn't a bit more skeptical, Caroline found that her biggest skeptic was Bonnie as she knew Caroline well enough to know there was other reasons behind the move. Caroline could neither confirm or deny her suspicions as she herself knew that something else was there with Klaus. Coming out to join Caroline at the table, Robert sipped on his cup of coffee while they both enjoyed each other's company until Klaus came in with a completely different mindset of the morning. Flopping down in his seat, Robert immediately got from his seat to bring Klaus his breakfast.

"Did you sleep well?" Caroline asked as she laughed while he just glared at her

"No, the little that I did sleep, someone kept going bump in the night" Klaus groaned as he began to massage his head

"I toss and turn while I sleep. It's a habit for some reason now" Caroline replied

"That's great to know. You should figure that out back at your place" Klaus told her

"But your place is so spacious" Caroline teased

"I'm not playing" Klaus told her

"Neither am I" Caroline told him

"What's the point in this? I mean why are you really doing this? Do you want to annoy me? good job, you've annoyed me….I mean what is the reason why I have to now view your presence as a catastrophe" Klaus asked

"Catastrophe is such a strong word" Caroline told him

"It's the appropriate word" Klaus quickly replied

"Have I become the bane to your existence now?" Caroline asked

"Heavens no, I'm a poet, I like to swap bane with pain then say that's what you've become to my ass as you call it" Klaus replied as she couldn't help but laugh at his clever rhetoric

"Do you two enjoy teasing each other?" Robert asked finally tearing the attention away from the bickering that Klaus and Caroline were doing

"Teasing means mutual like, and it's very apparent of how she feels about me" Klaus smirked as he sipped on his cup of juice that he knew Robert had laced with blood

"How do you know how I feel about you? Besides the obvious, how do you know?" Caroline asked

"Are you seriously asking me that?" Klaus questioned "I mean it wasn't too long ago that you thought I was picking up on my evil ways as you call it. My brother's arrival was solely for the purpose to plot revenge on you and your friends, did you not tell me that?" he asked in disbelief

"And again I stand by my reasoning. You've barely gotten on the path of good, so I'm sorry if remnants of doubt still remain with me, but I've apologized" Caroline said

"Apologies and accusations, that seems to be our theme. I don't want either because at the end of the day we're on opposing sides, and at the end of the day you'll go against me" Klaus said

"They're my friends!" Caroline declared

"Which is precisely what I'm talking about. Don't talk to me about being loyal to you, when you just stated who you will be loyal to. I'd be a knit to be blindly loyal to you, while your allegiance is to take me down" Klaus replied as Robert covered his hand with his face.

"Enough!" Robert shouted as he couldn't stand another round of bickering between the two "Now I greatly admire the both of you, but you've both reached a level of annoyance that I never knew could be reached with me" he told them

"Watch the tone old man" Klaus told him as he leaned back in his chair

"And normally I'd heed that warning, but in this case, you two have got to get it together. You bicker, and you argue within one day of Ms. Caroline moving in to your humble abode" Robert said

"She's not moved in, she's taking up space" Klaus replied

"You have over ten bedrooms, I hardly call that taking up space when it falls under occupying space" Caroline reasoned as they went on to bicker again while Robert slammed his hand down on the table to command their attention.

"What the hell is going on between the two of you?" Robert asked with much demanded before they heard a loud boom come from control board of the house, Klaus and Caroline immediately stopped in the midst of their arguing before Klaus rushed over to see what it was.

"It must be from the control panel" Robert said as Klaus opened up the small door to make his way inside to see numerous plugs and electrical boxes running about

"I don't hear the air" Caroline said as she honed in to listen closely "You had the whole central heating and air going, it used to make this obvious noise, but I don't hear it" she said

"That's because the pipe busted" Klaus said as he walked over towards the pipe

"Why would the pipes be busted?" Caroline questioned

"Probably because someone decided to take a long luxurious shower hot shower" Klaus replied as Caroline just glared at him

"Oh, I'm sorry that I actually like to cleanse my body" Caroline replied sarcastically "I'll be sure to smell like road kill next time" she added

"Ssh!" Klaus hushed her "What can we do?" he asked

"I can call for it to be fixed. I know someone that can do the job right away" Robert smiled happily

"There you go, getting it fixed as we speak" Klaus declared as Caroline began to fan herself

"Good because today is not the day to have the air go out, summer heat and heat in general is a bad combination" Caroline told him

* * *

Fanning herself furiously as she ran up the staircase, Caroline hoped for some bit of hope from the repair man that Robert had called in. Looking over into Klaus's room, Caroline spotted him pacing the floor as the sweat began to show on his shirt that even looking at him made her sweat. Exchanging a few glances with each other as they did their best to separate, Klaus could tell that little by little she was beginning to let the heat get to her. Heading back downstairs, Caroline walked towards the kitchen to see a disappointing look on Robert's face as he walked past her with his friend in tow. Noticing the strange glances that his friend was making towards Robert new place of living, Caroline was more than prepared to step in for a line of excuses for Robert as she trailed behind. Closing the door behind his friend, Robert turned to look back at Caroline.

"Please tell me you have good news?" Caroline asked with hope in her voice

"Good news or bad news?" Robert asked as Klaus came down the staircase

"Good news. Is it fixed?" Klaus asked

"Well he can, but the bad news is that he has to order a part since it's more complicated than meets the eye, which means that it will be another week before it gets fixed" Robert said as Caroline groaned at the prospect of a heat filled mansion

"A week? He can't put pipe and pipe to fix the bloody problem? What type of soddin' handyman is he if can't do the basics" Klaus complained

"Okay, ignore the british invasion that occurred to our conversation. Is there any way you could get some sort of air circulating into this place?" Caroline asked

"There is nothing I can do" Robert replied as he began to walk towards the kitchen while Caroline followed behind

"Do you always have to make fun of me being british? I mean the constant shot to my…" Klaus followed behind Caroline

"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up" Caroline turned to tell him

"Okay, enough!" Robert said as he then turned to face the both of them "It is hot. I'm sweating left and right, so mind my manners when I say that this heat has me a little annoyed and pissed with the both of you. You've got issues, so deal with them but stop biting each other's heads off over little things. Talk about, discover what it really is that has you both at each other's throats but by all means, shut the hell up. This heat will remain because I'm not some wizard that can fix anything at the drop of the dime, I cook and clean, that's it. So make this a bearable experience and get it together!" he yelled at them then turned to head towards the kitchen

"You know this is your fault, you know that right?" Klaus told her as he walk towards her as Caroline glared at him. Wearing that smug look on his face, Caroline accessed her best possible way to take down the Original that stood before her and found no logical way of doing so. Her only source of a momentary victory against him, Caroline decided to take the bull by the horns and in one foul swoop she grabbed hold to his shoulders before kneeing him in the balls. Hunched over in pain, Klaus grimaced at the painful sensations going through his body but mostly in the groin area.

"Screw you!" Caroline told him "British translation, sod off" she said before she made her way upstair while wiping her brow of the sweat that was forming.

* * *

Sitting on her bed listening to her Ipod, Caroline painted her toe nails as she found herself running out of options of things to do. Sweat dripping down her leg, Caroline sighed in disgust as she was growing tired of wiping her body and fanning her body left and right. No sounds came from the other room as Caroline just assumed that Klaus was probably reading yet another book that he was now starting to reread. She had never met someone who had thought of reading for a sport, but with Klaus she found that much of wisdom came with his age but through the pages of classic literature. Getting up from her bed, Caroline walked over towards the wall before her to place her ear up against the wall as she wanted to hear if he made any sound at all. Her attention soon turned towards the sound of the door being slammed shut from his outdoor studio, Caroline walked over towards the window to see him walking around from the window of the studio. Deciding that she was running out of her own options, Caroline knew that she'd have to stop avoiding the impending argument that they would have if they were around each other. Heading out towards his art studio, Caroline cautiously entered to see Klaus tossing another one of his failed art pieces to the side before he wiped his brow of the sweat. Hearing her slowly enter, Klaus stopped what he was doing as he just sat on his stool in front of his canvas.

"You should think of knocking" Klaus said as continued to stare at his blank canvas

"I heard the door slam from my room…" Caroline began to say

"You mean my room" Klaus said sternly "That's what you meant to say, right?" he asked her

"I didn't come to fight" Caroline told him

"Good because your sharp tongue is becoming a bit much to handle" Klaus replied as a silence came between them within the confined spaces of his art studio. Looking around, Caroline observed the pictures he had drawn with his very hand, all of which were dark, and she couldn't help but feel like each picture was a gateway into his soul. Typically she'd think he was a monster to draw such things, but then the pictures he had drawn for her had always been that of light. Taking her silence as her observing the work he had done, Klaus quickly rose from his seat as he couldn't take even her silent mocking. Facing her, Klaus was surprised to see that she was so enthralled by his work that no apparent sign of dislike came to her face. It was as if she understood and had sympathy for the very depictions he showed as dark. Turning to look at him, Caroline and Klaus looked each other dead in the eyes as the silence between them had allowed them both to access their thoughts to the fullest. Walking towards him, Caroline pulled out a white Kleenex she had picked on her way out to place beside him. "What is this?" he asked as he looked over at the Kleenex

"My peace treaty" Caroline said "I don't want to fight, so if me being here upsets you, then I'll leave" she told him as he tore his attention away the symbolic treaty to look at her. No words were exchanged at first as Klaus wasn't even sure how to express what he was feeling in the moment, which ultimately made Caroline feel as if his silence were the ultimate answer. Turning to head towards the door, Klaus knew that words would have to be said in order to stop her.

"I…I don't want you to go" Klaus blurted out "I've never wanted you to go" he said as she stood in place "I take loyalty seriously, more than anything. You see, in my life, I've come to depend that a persons words are their form of contract. I believe your words, more than I should, but I come to realize that your actions scare me. I want you here, whether in loyalty or not, I want you" he said as Caroline couldn't help but to turn to face him. Walking towards him, Caroline glanced over towards the rest of the pictures behind him as she found them even more breathtaking than the others.

"Have you drawn anything new?" Caroline asked as she kept her attention on the pictures behind him while he just took in the beauty of her simplicity before his very eyes

"No" Klaus replied softly

"Why?" Caroline asked

"You wouldn't understand" Klaus told her as he looked off to the side of him while Caroline looked at him

"Try me" Caroline said before he caught her gaze. Bringing his hand up slowly, he held one finger out for a pointer as he pointed towards his head.

"I hear the voices. I hear screams. I hear cries. I hear terror in the silence. I hear each and every one of them. I can try to put pen to pad, but the voices win out" Klaus explained

"Because of your soul?' Caroline asked as she looked towards his chest

"I suppose. Guess I've lost more than I imagine with the bloody soap box in my chest" Klaus laughed softly

"What do you draw? If you were to draw, what would you draw?" Caroline asked

"I draw was fascinates me" Klaus replied "In light and in dark, I draw what fascinates me" he told her

"That's strange because even your darker work show bits of light" Caroline told him "But the voices enable you from drawing" she concluded

"An artists, as I try to be, uses their mind as they call upon every corner of it to complete thought or illusion. It's less cluttered because not much goes through or if so it's filtered into thoughts I'd rather not share" Klaus told her

"Do I fascinate you?" Caroline asked in the softest of voices without even trying after a moment of silence came between them as they looked at each other for a moment. Surprised by her question, Klaus displayed the confusion in his eyes as Caroline seemed to convey such certainty in hers. There was no doubt in her mind that she was his fascination just by the way he looked at her. Slowly pulling her shirt over her head, Caroline would've been the first to say it was due to the heat, but the heat she would've been referring to would've come as an ambiguous answer. Revealing the bra that she was in, Klaus watched her undress before him as he didn't know what to equate this to. Putting her hair up into a ponytail, Caroline walked over to stand in front of his canvas as he turned to look at her. For a moment, Caroline took a deep breath in and out before she finally relieved herself of her bra while making sure to capture her breast with the side of her arm.

"What are you doing?" Klaus asked softly as his stare remained on her naked body

"You said you draw what fascinates you….so draw me" Caroline told him as they both just looked on at each other

"This is different" Klaus told her

"How? Because I'd actually be here to see the actual process of me being drawn" Caroline replied as she could see Klaus begin to form reasons as to why she shouldn't go through with this "Draw me" she said with a pleading voice as Klaus just gave up on the fight to convince her otherwise. Grabbing his closest pad of paper, Klaus said as he took a seat on the floor. Feeling a tremble in his hand, Klaus felt a nervousness in him that he had never felt before. His palms sweat, whether it was due to the heat or the his nervousness was unknown to him. Beginning the outline of her figure, Caroline took deep breath to compose herself as his attention on her naked frame had been more undressing than the actual action of her doing so. His eyes never seemed to cross the line of pervy, but kept the distinction to detail as he made it a point to be concise. She had never seen that look of passion in his eyes, she could cross reference it to the way he looked at her but it would've been wishful thinking on her part.

"Can you let it down?" Klaus asked as Caroline was quickly torn out of her reverie

"I'm sorry, what?" Caroline asked

"Let it go" Klaus told her once more as she looked a bit confused with what he was requesting. Getting up from his seat on the floor, Klaus put his pad down, he walked up towards her. Realizing that his swift steps might frighten her in the process, Klaus made sure to slowly bring his hand up towards her as he stood in front of her. "May I?" he asked

"Sure" Caroline replied as he slowly tugged at her hair to let her hair down. Fixing her hair to his liking, with much precision went in to how he wanted her. Noticing the concentration in his eyes as she looked on at him fix her up, Caroline couldn't help but feel like she had become his passion instead. His breath tickling the hairs on her neck as they also aroused her. His hands touched her skin so softly as if he were afraid to break her with the simplest of touch. His certainty the perfection could be reached in what she believed herself to be as a mess. This Klaus was different. This Klaus was the artist.

"There" Klaus declared before he stepped back to look at her. Returning to his seat on the floor, Klaus continued to draw as he knew that every bit of this had to be perfect. Caroline should've felt awkward and nervous while being naked in front of Klaus, but oddly enough, she felt secure. She felt like art.

* * *

Pulling her shirt over her head, Caroline began to put her clothes on in silence as Klaus put away his art supplies. Nothing had been said once he had finished, all Caroline could was wonder what he was thinking. Was it not what he wanted? Did the picture turn out horrible? Did the real thing tarnish the imagination he had of her? She asked herself over a million times while she tried to keep her composure. Cleaning every bit of his studio to occupy himself from looking at her eyes, Klaus would've thought that he had gone into full Robert mode as his knack for cleaning in this moment was on another high. Once she finished dressing, Caroline waited a moment to see if he would say anything but still the silence remained with only the sound of him cleaning ringing clearly in the room. Bending over to pick up the loose paper off the floor, Klaus rose to his feet to see that she was looking at him. Unable to avoid her look, Klaus let a smile break as he walked towards her with the final product in his hand. Handing it to her, Caroline looked on anxiously as she couldn't help but be impress.

"This is beautiful" Caroline smiled as she looked on at the picture while Klaus looked on at her expression to see if she actually meant it

"Really?" Klaus asked

"Yes, really. This is beautiful" Caroline said as she looked him in the eyes

"Good, because I thought the lines were a bit much and that I had made you a bit disproportion" Klaus stumbled for words as he looked on at the picture, unable to stop critiquing his own work

"As the model of this picture, I think it's beautiful" Caroline told him as he returned his attention back to her

"Good" Klaus stated "Why'd you do that? I mean you didn't have to do the whole modeling or undressing" he asked as a silence came between them

"Because it seems like the only time I get an actual look into your soul is through your drawings" Caroline replied

"And did you like what you see?" Klaus asked hesitantly as he felt himself becoming bold

"I did, both the lightness and the darkness. You should show it more often, you might even like what you see" Caroline smiled as a smile slowly came to his face with how relaxed she was around him "I have to admit that I felt relieved from the summer air while I was modeling" she told him

"The heat of Mystic Falls is one less thing to be desired" Klaus agreed as a thought came to Caroline before she grabbed on to his hand and lead him out of the back house that was his studio into the night. "What are you doing?" he asked as she lead him towards the water

"Something to beat the heat" Caroline replied as she continued to lead before they stopped in front of the water that was well within the boundary lines. The light of the moon glistened off the water as Caroline couldn't help but enjoy the scene before her. Making sure to check for himself, Klaus eyed the tree in the distance for his own clarification while Caroline noticed his nervousness. "Relax, you're good" she told him

"Glad to here, but why are we here?" Klaus asked

"Have you ever heard of a thing called skinny dipping?" Caroline asked

"Oh, no. No. I'm not doing that" Klaus refused as he began to back away

"You're hot. I'm hot" Caroline stated before she realized how that sounded "I didn't mean it in that way" she then added

"By all means, say what you mean" Klaus teased

"I stripped for you" Caroline said

"Under your own free will" Klaus said "I never asked you to" he replied

"You should feel compelled to go skinny dipping with me" Caroline laughed

"I don't. I do the compelling, I don't get compelled" Klaus replied

"Live a little or pretend to live a little in our case" Caroline said

"How is me getting undressed and going into a filthy water bed going to engage me to live?" Klaus asked

"Because it will make you fun and less grouchy. You need to be fun and less grouchy for my sake" Caroline told him "You fascinate me" she then stated hoping that would inspire him to strip

"Completely different, and I never answered" Klaus said

"You answered. You may not have with actual words, but you answered" Caroline laughed as she walked towards him "Look we can't change what sides we're on, but right now, right here, this is our world. We can be whatever we want to be with each other because it doesn't matter what the outside world has in store. So think of it as us bearing it all, laying it on the line, common ground" she told him

"Bearing it all is a selective choice of words" Klaus said as he looked at her skeptically

"I'm not good with the words like you are, but maybe that's something you'll have to teach me" Caroline told him "So come on, fascinate me" she laughed as he finally gave in to her requests. Pulling his shirt over his head while she pulled hers over head once more. Undoing the belt on his pants and unzipping his pants, she undid her shorts before they both pulled their shorts and pants down. Walking towards the water to give her privacy, Klaus put his foot in to feel the temperature of the water, which was surprisingly warm. Pulling down his briefs, Klaus tossed them to the side before he cautiously entered. Dipping his head under the water to get the overall shock of the water out of his system, he wiped the water out of his eyes to see that she stripped down. Turning to give her that privacy she needed, Klaus could hear her enter the water. Once they both were comfortable, Klaus turned to have a barrage of water coming towards him as she had splashed water at him. Like once before in the pool, the two engaged in their own form of warfare where there weren't any opposing sides to this.

* * *

Peeking his head in to see if Robert was still awake, Klaus surveyed the open areas of the kitchen. Hopping around on her tip toes as the night air caught up to her, Caroline did her best to stay warm in her wet clothing as all she could do was wait for the coast to be clear. Finally coming to realize that Robert was down for the night, Klaus opened the door for Caroline to enter. Closing the door softly behind her, Caroline couldn't but laugh as she felt like she was reliving her teenage days with how she was sneaking in through back doors or closing doors softly in order to avoid being caught. Opening up the fridge, Klaus couldn't help but have a thirst for a bit of blood as his cravings began to kick in. Using Robert's method of drinking his stored blood, Klaus poured himself a glass of cranberry juice before he added the blood. Looking at his honest attempt of trying to feel like he wasn't some blood feign, Caroline found that endearing about him. Handing her a bottle of water, they both sat in the kitchen.

"I'm surprised the old man is asleep" Klaus said after he took a sip from his glass

"It's about that time" Caroline replied "We probably annoyed him so much that he was glad that we were out" she told him

"You mean with our bickering" Klaus laughed as he played with the outline of his cup "I think he see's us as arguing like an old married couple" he laughed

"I don't know how, but we do argue like that. We've got the whole bicker and banter going on. You're catchy with the come backs, I give you that" Caroline agreed

"I've never done that before…the whole swim in the dark" Klaus admitted as he kept his attention towards his drink while Caroline began to wonder

"What about the while naked part? Have you done that?" Caroline teased as she asked

"Chivalry is a code I live by, I still live by" Klaus told her "Women were walking pieces of art, and treated with utmost respect. Women now…they're objects wanting to be treated as objects" he said

"Which explains the brothel your brother held the other night" Caroline brought up

"Kol is of the new age mindset. You'd think my family was of this generation with how they try to stay modern" Klaus replied

"Staying modern isn't a bad thing" Caroline reasoned "I mean the fact that you have no clue as to who little Orphan Annie is" she said

"I don't get the point in knowing who that is?" Klaus asked with a bit of laughter as if he were a teenage boy

"You should. I love that movie with the whole singing and dancing" Caroline smiled

"Singing and dancing. Yes, I don't think I can relate" Klaus laughed

"You have to see it, I mean since you have nothing else to do" Caroline replied

"Oh, really" Klaus teased as they enjoyed the moments of laughter "Kol had a way for me to break the spell" he finally admitted as Caroline seemed a bit shocked that he came out with such a revelation.

"Really?" Caroline asked "Did it have something to do with the dagger?" she asked

"Yes. Without getting into all of the details, the dagger would've solved one problem but created another" Klaus told her

"And that's the reason you couldn't take the chance" Caroline concluded

"Kol is impulsive. Act then think without considering the repercussions of anything, so although it could've been the answers to all my problems, but could've been a whole new set added on" Klaus told her

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to take your honesty. I mean I appreciate it, and then a part of me is a little unsettled with it" Caroline said "That's me being honest" she told him

"And I respect your honesty love" Klaus replied as he looked over at her while they both shared glances as they attempted to look away "I don't want to ruin the night, but I just thought I'd tell you. If it would've been a viable option to get me out of this spell, then I would've taken it" he told her

"No, I agree. Anyone that feels trapped in their own home would do the same. So it'd be dumb of me to think that you wouldn't try to escape this…this…this beautiful mansion" Caroline said trying to keep a straight face

"Do you think if this was a different time, different version of me, different circumstances, and just us meeting under a new scenario…do you think you would take a chance on me?" Klaus asked as he took a full on chance with putting his heart on the line. Caught off guard with his question, Caroline stumbled with words a she wasn't exactly sure how to answer because with everything in her in this moment she was unsure. "To answer your question from earlier, you do fascinate me. From the moment I've met you, you've captivated me and devastated me in the best of ways. I just thought you should know" he said as he got up from his seat as all she could do was look on at him with surprised eyes "Goodnight, and thanks for the swim love" he said before he leaned in to kiss her cheek, which left her even more shocked. Typically she would've been repulsed by his like of her, but with the new sides she was seeing of him that she wasn't put off by. Klaus was her mystery, whether she solved him or not was up to her. Maybe it was an adventure she was about to embark upon, but the journey was there if she chose to take it or not. After she sat in shell shock for a while, Caroline was sure that he was upstairs in his own room. A slight laugh had escaped her as she couldn't believe that he was becoming so bold with her and she didn't exactly dislike it. Just as she got up from her seat, Caroline heard loud classical music coming from his room and instantly she knew that he had gotten his revenge on her. Laughing to herself as it wasn't exactly what she picked for his choice of music, still it was funny to her.

Tossing his dampened clothes to the side, Klaus washed his face as he prepared to go to bed. Feeling like today was better than the previous, Klaus felt like maybe no talking about the impending war between he and the Salvatores for his doppleganger was the best way to heal. Turning to turn off the lights in the bathroom, Klaus walked back into his room before he saw a piece of paper slide under the door. Walking over towards the door, Klaus leaned over to pick up the note to see that it said "Maybe" on it. A grin quickly crept up on his face as even the slightest bit of hope was everything to him.


	10. When Opposites Attract

**Monster**

**Chapter Ten- When Opposites Attract**

* * *

Looking on at her friend as she walked around to observe the enormity of the room, Caroline sat on pins and needles as she hoped seeing the room would put Bonnie's mind at ease. It was no surprise that both Elena and Bonnie didn't like that she was now taking up residence at Klaus's as they viewed that as a dangerous cat and mouse game to play with the Original. Elena usually bought what Caroline told her because she trusted Caroline's instinct since her own wasn't that good, but Caroline knew that Bonnie would be her ultimate challenge because she knew Caroline all to well to just buy what she was saying. Like an inspector, Bonnie covered every square inch of the bedroom as she wanted to make sure that no stone was left unturned. Caroline made a few jokes here and there to note the possible ways that Klaus could kill her, but she could tell that Bonnie didn't find humor in it because Klaus wasn't something she found to be funny. Sighing as she took a seat on the bed, Caroline just waited until the interrogation was over before Bonnie figured that she had tortured her friend enough.

"I still don't understand this" Bonnie replied as she walked over to take a seat beside Caroline on the bed "I mean why stay here?" she questioned

"Because, if I stay here then I'll be able to keep a closer eye on him" Caroline reasoned

"How close of an eye are you trying to get? I mean what could he possibly be up to?" Bonnie asked

"You mean besides the fact that Kol came back, and I sense that he had a devilish plan in works" Caroline quickly replied as she made sure to leave out the actual plan that Klaus had revealed to her

"Did you find out what the plan was?" Bonnie asked

"Not all of it, but I'm still working on it" Caroline told her friend

"You're working on it?….is there something else going on that I should know about?" Bonnie asked

"Like what?" Caroline quickly asked as she had no clue what Bonnie was alluding to

"I don't know, maybe the fact that you seem to be calm in talking about Klaus. Before the name used to repulse you, now it's like it rolls off the tongue naturally now. You haven't even mentioned Tyler" Bonnie stated to her friend. As the two girls spoke, Klaus came out of his room just as they began to talk in regards to Tyler, and with his great sense of hearing, Klaus couldn't help but overhear what they were discussing. Standing in his doorway, Klaus contemplated going about his business as he was sure that Caroline was trying to explain her choice of living arrangements, but his curiosity managed to get the best of him.

"Oh, I'm very aware of what Tyler is up to. I think all of face book knows by now, I just choose to not get upset about it" Caroline told her "What's the point?" she questioned

"Uh, maybe because you were so in love with Tyler. He was the love of your life as you called him" Bonnie smiled

"Things changed. We changed" Caroline told her

"I understand that, I just think that maybe this whole big college world scared you two off from the relationship" Bonnie said

"Explain yourself" Caroline told her as she looked at her with much intrigue

"Call me crazy…" Bonnie began to say

"Crazy" Caroline said as they laughed

"I just think that you two will find your way back to each other. You've been through too much to not find you're way back" Bonnie said

"Maybe" Caroline replied as she laid back on the bed not wanting to think too much about her and Tyler. "I don't know how we even begin to work our way back" she exclaimed

"Time for now, but talking would be good" Bonnie told her

"Yeah well, I'm open for talking but he's talking to too many girls right now for me to even think of trying to get back together. If we make a go of getting back together, I need to know that I'm the girl for him" Caroline replied

"Well, hopefully he'll come to his senses, emphasis on hopefully" Bonnie said as her and Caroline laughed "But until then, I know someone that would be perfect to get back on the horse with" she said

"That was the weirdest of transitions" Caroline teased her friend "Give detes, tell me" she sighed

"You know him very well, he's in your English class and he happens to be part of my Wicca group" Bonnie said

"So he's down with the whole supernatural, all ready a positive" Caroline nodded in agreement "Who is it?" she asked

"Danny" Bonnie replied

"Danny? Danny, Danny?" Caroline questioned in disbelief

"Yes, he's always smittened with you when we go out to lunch" Bonnie said

"Because we share a meal, he's in like with my fries" Caroline laughed

"No, I think he's in like with you and I think he'd be perfect to see" Bonnie said

"So what, you've been pimping me out. I should get back together with Tyler, then date Danny before I do so. I feel like a whore without actually doing either" Caroline joked

"I just want to see you get out of this house, have a normal life like we said we would have" Bonnie stated

"I do have a normal life, somewhat….you know, minus the Original watch and my daily blood intake" Carole reasoned

"I'm setting you and Danny up for tomorrow night. You will have fun, maybe even get a nightcap" Bonnie told her as Klaus couldn't help but feel a pang of emotions come over him that he couldn't understand why.

"Is he cute?" Caroline asked "Because I'll only go on this unwanted set up if he's drop dead cute" she said before Klaus had finally heard enough as he quickly turned to head downstairs.

* * *

Storming into the kitchen, Robert couldn't help but notice Klaus's apparent bad mood that he was sporting. Sighing in frustration, Robert could only hope that it had nothing to do with Caroline but probably knew that it was. Taking a seat at the counter, Klaus tossed his sketchpad on to the table as he tried his best to get into his creative space but found that he was upset. Huffing and puffing to himself, Robert tried to carry on with his cooking but found it hard to so with Klaus being such a Debbie Downer to his mood. Try and try again, Robert focused on his pastries and once again Klaus killed his mood. Finally dropping the cooking utensils to Klaus's surprise, Robert turned to face Klaus at the counter.

"Oh, what is it!" Robert snapped as Klaus was caught off guard with Robert's reaction

"Aren't we pissy today" Klaus replied

"No, I'm not pissy as you call it. I'm actually trying to be delighted as I try to make these pastries" Robert said

"You ever think you may bat for the wrong team old man?" Klaus questioned as he found Robert's need to bake a bit disturbing

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that" Robert replied "What is it? What bugs you?" he asked

"Nothing, nothing bugs me. I'm not going to bare my soul" Klaus scoffed at the notion that he was supposed to talk about what ailed him

"So you just come to kill a mood for sport?" Robert asked

"You're a bit mouthy old man" Klaus replied

"I don't mean to be, but I feel like Dr. Phil in this house. I analyze better than anyone, I can gather that something is wrong with you" Robert said

"Well maybe there is something" Klaus muttered after a few moments of silence as Robert turned his full attention towards Klaus as if he were glad that Klaus was finally going to come out with it

"Go on" Robert said

"I guess I'm a bit annoyed with something" Klaus muttered as he couldn't believe he was going to actually put voice to his feelings

"Like?" Robert asked as he egged Klaus on some more

"…don't get too close. At least act like you're doing something" Klaus said as he began to notice Robert's eagerness

"Okay, fine. Does this have anything to do with Ms. Caroline?" Robert asked as Klaus looked at him with hopeful eyes that maybe Robert knew, therefore; he didn't have to say anything.

"So she's told you?" Klaus asked with a bit of intrigue "I mean did you hear her chatter about it as well?" he asked once more

"Chatter? About what?….I'm talking about your Ms. Caroline problem" Robert told him

"As am I. Wait…what problem? I have no problem" Klaus asked in confusion

"I'm talking about your like of her" Robert said as Klaus drew a blank face "Oh, don't act so surprise that I know. I notice everything…." he began to say

"Because you're too bloody nosy" Klaus quickly added

"No, because it's painfully obvious. You've become so enthralled with her" Robert said

"I'm not enthralled with her!" Klaus said before Robert just looked at him like he was lying off his ass "Okay, but I don't think enthrall is the word…" he began to say

"How about fancy, that seems to work in your case, the british case" Robert said as Klaus sighed in frustration with his compelled butler "Look, it's clear that you don't think you have a chance with her, and let's be honest, on your grouchy days, you don't, but it's apparent by how you look at her. Maybe it's time you throw your hat into the ring, show her that you care" he said as Klaus sat mute, trying to figure out how Robert was able to put his two cents in on his life, when he barely knew Klaus. Just as Klaus was about to finally speak up to tell Robert what was aching inside of him. Just as he began to speak, Klaus and Robert were quickly joined by Caroline and Bonnie as they entered the kitchen.

"What about Caroline?" Caroline asked as she walked over towards Robert to snack on the pastries that he had all ready stashed aside before he smacked her hand away with the spatula "Ouch!" she declared

"Until finished" Robert told her

"Bonnie this is Robert, the master chef around here" Caroline told her as Bonnie took her glare off of Klaus to give a soft smile towards Robert

"Nice to meet you" Bonnie told him before she leaned up against the doorway of the kitchen while all Klaus could do was try to figure out how to avoid the obvious tension. Klaus knew that he didn't have to look Bonnie in the face to know that she was spewing all sorts of venom towards his direction. "Robert as in compelled to work for Klaus, that Robert" she stated as Caroline glanced over to see that Klaus was uncomfortable

"Compelled?" Robert asked in a bit of confusion

"It's nothing" Caroline laughed before she eyed Bonnie to drop the subject

"And I think that's the part where I should go" Klaus said as he rose from his seat "So nice to have you here" he said as walked over towards Bonnie to pass her

"Wish I could say the same" Bonnie replied as he made his way out of the kitchen

"Did you have to be so rude?" Caroline asked

"Yes, I still don't trust him" Bonnie said

"Clearly" Caroline said before she attempted to take another shot at a grabbing a pastry but once again got swatted on the hand by Robert "Ouch!" she declared once again at her rejection.

* * *

Sitting up in his bed, Klaus found that doodling on his sketchpad allowed him to release the frustrations he had from all the voices that were circling around in his head. Though they still frequented, Klaus was able to find relief that he was able to put an actual drawing to the voices. They may have had gruesome undertones, but it all felt therapeutic in the end. Just as thoughts were tearing him away from his doodling, Klaus took a deep sigh as he rested his head against the headboard. Hearing the sounds of her walking back and forth in her bedroom, Klaus was sure that she was doing her nightly routine of trying on what she would wear the next day. It hadn't been long of her staying with him, but Klaus had found that she was a creature of habit. Like clockwork, Klaus knew everything that she would be doing or wanted to do before she even thought of doing it. Getting lost in his thoughts of her, Klaus was unable to recognize that he heard knocking at his door. Unsure if he was hearing correctly, Klaus felt as if he was hearing things because no one really knocked on his door in fear of him coming out. Going back to his thoughts, Klaus was once again torn from his thoughts with another knock at the door. Getting up from the bed hesitantly, Klaus walked over to answer the door to see Caroline holding two dresses in her hand.

"Which one?" Caroline asked as she held out the dresses "I like the red, but that's painfully obvious. Black is my color and I need to wear this dress because it hasn't been worn yet" she began to babble

"Why are you asking me?" Klaus asked in confusion

"Because…you seem to…why am I asking you?" Caroline tried to reason but found no reasoning behind it "I'm sorry, I'm just being crazy" she told him

"You just now figured that" Klaus said as he leaned up against the door

"Funny" Caroline smiled sarcastically as she couldn't help but notice his sketchpad on his bed "You drawing some more?" she smiled

"I'm doodling" Klaus said as he ran his hand through his messied hair

"That's great" Caroline smiled "Can I see?" she asked

"Uh…yeah, sure" Klaus said as he let her in to his room while she made a quick bee line to his bed to look at his sketches. Flipping through the pages of what he had drawn thus far, Klaus looked on at her as she seemed to enjoy what she was seeing. To him, Klaus thought the pictures were gruesome since he knew exactly what victim and how he killed them were, but to Caroline, she seemed to take it as open art, where she was neither inclined to judge or dislike because it wasn't her cup of tea. Getting more relaxed on his bed, Caroline stretched out as she lay cross the foot of the bed while Klaus wondered where he should stand because any idea of him being on the bed with her would be invading her space in his mind.

"These are interesting" Caroline said as she looked up at him

"As in disturbing. Only a mass serial killing Original would draw" Klaus concluded as he laughed to himself nervously

"No, as in interesting. Clearly I know what this is about, but removing myself from what I know of you, looking at it as just a drawing, I can feel the depiction you have of the people. The point of art is to make you feel, right?" Caroline asked

"I believe so" Klaus laughed softly as she assured him "So what are you doing over here, I thought you'd be out painting the town red with Bonnie" he said

"Bonnie is out with her boyfriend. Elena offered to hang with me, I think their on this kick of watching me" Caroline said

"Because of me" Klaus concluded

"I'd lie, but yes, because of you" Caroline laughed "I'm sorry about Bonnie in the kitchen earlier" she said

"I don't need apologies. I don't expect your friends to like me, I like the dislike, it makes me feel appreciated" Klaus joked

"How would that make you feel appreciated?" Caroline questioned

"I was trying to make that into a joke, but I don't think your friends hatred of me can be turned into a joke" Klaus said as he found no solution to the joke he had set up

"Don't take it personally" Caroline laughed as she noticed he made a conservative effort to stand away from the bed. Not even realizing that she had taken his bed from him, Caroline felt inclined to get up but felt too lazy to do so all at once. "You can sit on the bed. I'm not going to freak out" she said as Klaus nervously shifted his body weight off of one leg to where he was balanced to walk towards the bed. Walking towards the head of the bed, Klaus took a seat as he slowly brought his legs up on the bed. "See, you look comfortable now" she smiled

"It is my bed" Klaus replied

"That it is" Caroline agreed

"So…since you have the dresses and all, I assume that you'll be attending a formal event" Klaus said as he tried to gain information on her date

"Formal isn't quite the word I would use" Caroline laughed to herself "It's an experiment of sorts" she said

"Experiment?" Klaus asked

"Yes, an experiment with an uncertain hypothesis and conclusion. Call it an attempt to get back to the normal" Caroline said

"You speak cryptically" Klaus laughed

"Because it is. I don't mean to be cryptic, but these dresses…I don't want to where these dresses. I don't even want to go, but Bonnie is making me go" Caroline sighed

"Then don't go. You have free will" Klaus told her

"That I know, but not on this" Caroline said

"Free will applies to everything love" Klaus replied as he found her logic confusing. Though she was making an conservative effort to not mention that she was going on a date, Klaus wanted so badly for her to blurt it out so that they didn't have skirt around the issue. Why was she not mentioning the date? Is she afraid I'll get my feelings hurt? Klaus asked himself as he tried to keep it cool.

"Do you ever feel like you know what you want, but you're just not in the mood to go after it? I mean it's clear, but you're just tired of fighting to get it" Caroline asked

"Then I doubt you ever wanted it" Klaus quickly replied "I don't get you, I mean why do something you clearly don't want to do. If you don't want to where the soddin' dress than don't where the dress. Just do what you want and stop taxing everyone else for it" he blurted out without even realizing it

"Wow! Look who got annoyed really quickly" Caroline said as she sat up on the bed to look at him

"I'm not annoyed. I just hear you say you don't want to where the dresses, you're going to some formal thing because Bonnie, you're know what you want but don't want to fight for it….I'm sorry, but you sound a bit whiney love" Klaus told her as Caroline just looked at him skeptically, determining how she should answer while he just couldn't manage to keep his frustrations bottled up "You're beautiful, and a person like you should have a definitive answer to the numerous offers. You can have what you want, you just need to be honest about what you want. Wear what you want, do what you want, but don't be indecisive because you're only hurting yourself in the end and annoying the others around you" he told her as a smile slowly came to her face that left him confused as he was sure that she was going get upset with him "What?" he asked

"You said I was beautiful" Caroline smiled with a bit of laughter coming through

"No, I didn't" Klaus quickly replied

"Yes, you did" Caroline replied in disbelief that he was denying it

"I meant it as you're a beautiful person, not that you're beautiful" Klaus told her

"Thanks, I think" Caroline replied "You said it, just admit it. I mean you fancy me, I fascinate you, and now you think I'm beautiful" she teased as Klaus groaned in frustration by her teasing. Grabbing the pillow beside him, Klaus covered his head as he flopped down on the bed. Laughing hysterically at what looked like Klaus getting embarrassed, Caroline leaped forward to try to pull the pillow away from his face.

* * *

Her eyes began to flutter open as she couldn't help but notice the sun peeking through the curtains, Caroline didn't want to move as she felt like she had reached a relaxation she had never reached before. The last couple months of dealing with Tyler, then the break up with Tyler, then the whole Klaus ordeal, and the always looming fate of her friends lives; Caroline found that sleep wasn't something that was relaxing to her anymore, it was just the necessity to move on to the next day. Nestling up close to her pillow, Caroline couldn't help but take in a new scent that she had not once smelled before. It smelled like vanilla in her mind, which was odd because she usually had her pillows smelling like the overpriced perfume she'd wore from the night. Though this was different, Caroline found comfort in the smell as it relaxing indeed. Feeling a warmth come over her, Caroline just couldn't believe that this was the best sleep she had received in ages. Feeling his arm move, Caroline immediately opened her eyes up to see that her warmth was being shared with Klaus. Not wanting to alarm him by him with her sudden movement, Caroline quickly tried to figure out how the hell she ended up sleeping with Klaus. As she came up with possible escape routes, Klaus removed his hand from around her waist as he soon came to the realization that he wasn't alone in his bed like he was accustomed to.

"Good morning" Klaus replied nervously as he sat up on the side of the bed, not wanting to see the look of horror that was on her face

"Yeah, good morning" Caroline quickly replied

"I'm…I'm sorry. I don't know what happened, but I didn't mean to.." Klaus began to apologize

"No, it's okay. We clearly fell asleep together…we must've lost track of time and then slept" Caroline reasoned as it even sounded weird

"Yes, because I wouldn't compel you…" Klaus began to say

"No. I mean you would, but then I know you didn't because I remember what happened, not all of it, but I mean…" Caroline stumbled for words

"This wasn't suppose to happen" Klaus stated

"Absolutely not" Caroline agreed as she got up from the bed to see the two dresses that had started it all "I'm sorry. I came over and I started the bed thing" she tried to reason

"Well…yes, you did" Klaus agreed to a fault

"What?" Caroline asked in disbelief as she was hoping he'd disagree with her statement

"You came into my room, hence you started this" Klaus said as he thought he was helping her come to her conclusion "Am I wrong?" he asked as he saw the look that was on her face

"No, but I didn't think you'd agree. I mean it's the gentlemen thing to take the blame" Caroline said

"But you came over?" Klaus questioned

"I know" Caroline groaned

"You came over with your dresses and talking about your dates and stuff" Klaus said as Caroline quickly caught on to the key word

"Date? How do you know I'm going on a date?" Caroline asked as Klaus just looked at her

"It's obvious" Klaus replied

"Uh, no it isn't. I never said I was going on a date" Caroline replied

"So you're not going on a date tonight?" Klaus asked as he knew she was lying

"Well yes, but I never told you I was going on a date" Caroline replied

"Which I don't care about, by the way. I mean I could care less about your date" Klaus scoffed

"Then why now mention it? If you knew last night then why not mention it?" Caroline asked

"Because you were doing a fine job of dancing around the subject all on your own, my mentioning of the subject wasn't required" Klaus said

"Dance around? I wasn't dancing of any sort. I just didn't feel the need to say 'Hey Klaus, I'm going on a date tonight. Wanna help me figure out what I'm going to wear' that would've been…rude" Caroline said

"Why?" Klaus asked "I wouldn't care either way. You date and mourn your relationship with Tyler, it's nothing useful to me" he said trying to shrug off her statement

"How do you know about Tyler?" Caroline asked in disbelief

"Because you bloody talk all the time. You talk and talk, how do I not hear things?" Klaus asked

"Oh. My. God!" Caroline declared as she came to her conclusion "You were listening, while Bonnie and I were talking, you were listening" she stated

"I wasn't…okay, well I was, but I wasn't on purpose" Klaus told her as she immediately grabbed her dresses as she got up from the bed while Klaus got up from where he sat to face her

"I can't believe you. I mean did you think we were plotting something?" Caroline asked

"No, I was walking out of my….why am I explaining myself to you, this is my house!" Klaus said

"I know, but you don't have to listen then lie like you didn't hear me talking about this apparent date that I don't want to go on because I don't feel the need to wear these stupid dresses!" Caroline yelled

"Has anyone ever told you that you're bloody mad!" Klaus yelled

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a jackass!" Caroline replied

"I've hear worse sweetheart" Klaus smiled sarcastically as Caroline picked up the pillow to throw at him "Really love? A pillow? You've gone from stakes to pillows, sure hope you're not on the frontline of war" he said as he dodged the pillows she threw at him. "Stop!" he groaned as he continued to block her hits while he moved towards her

"You're so damn difficult!" Caroline said as she continued to hit him before Klaus finally grabbed onto her final pillow as he gripped on to her arm. "Let go of me" she told him

"Stop hitting me" Klaus replied as their hold on each other had gotten stronger with only a mere centimeter separating them. Both not backing down from their stances. Caroline stared him down. Klaus stared her down. Their breathing became the only evident thing that they could hear as they both went over the ways they couldn't stand each other. He annoyed her. She annoyed him. Crashing his lips against hers, Klaus gripped her face with his hands as he was afraid that the fantasy may slip away too quickly. Passionately and intensely, Klaus kissed her as he deepened the kiss before Caroline pushed him away. Finally settling in on what had happened, Klaus brought his hands to his lips as he knew that Caroline was bound to rip him a new one for yet another unwanted kiss. Standing in shock, Caroline touched her lips as she looked at Klaus with no sign of what she was thinking. "I'm sorry. I don't know what…" he began to say

"Shut up" Caroline told him before Klaus pulled him towards her as their lips crashed together once more. Unsure of what was happening, Klaus kept his eyes open as he watched her kiss him back before finally accepting that this was happening. Sighing into her mouth, Klaus moved them back towards the dresser, where he leaned down to pick her up to sit on top.

Their lips glided over each others as if it were perfectly choreographed. His hand gripped the back of her hair as her taste became what he craved as he deepened the kiss. In between her legs, Klaus could feel her leg caress the back of his as if she wanted more than he was giving. Breaking the kiss, Klaus immediately began to attack the nape of her neck with kisses as she let slight moans escape her with the pleasure he was giving her. The separation of their lips hadn't lasted long as she held both sides of his face nipped at his bottom lip while he released his grip on the back of her hair. Quickly a knock came to the door, which caused them both to stop instantly before they separated at the drop of the dime once the door opened.

"Ms. Caroline, what are you doing in here?" Robert asked as he looked on at the both of them avoiding eye contact with each other

"I…I was showing Klaus some dresses for my date tonight" Caroline quickly reasoned

"Oh…so you ask Mr. Klaus?" Robert questioned

"Momentary lapse in judgement….in everything" Caroline said as she felt a wave of embarrassment came over her as she made a quick exit from the room

"Did I interrupt something?" Robert asked as he noticed Klaus pacing the floor. Turning to look at Robert, Klaus was unsure if he should tell Robert or keep this to himself, and ultimately he just felt the need to flee

"I'll be in my studio" Klaus said he made a mad dash towards the kitchen

* * *

Trying on dress after dress, Caroline was on a search to find the right one as she needed to be a different girl tonight. After class, Caroline had went on a major retail therapy bender as she wanted to avoid the house as long as possible. Bonnie had text her with the information and that she was even sending Danny to go pick her up tonight, all of which made Caroline grateful, but Caroline couldn't manage to shake this nagging feeling that she didn't want to go. Danny was sweet and different from any guy that she had dated, which made Caroline weary as sweet and different were sure to fade in the world she lived in. Coming out of the dressing room with yet another dress to try on, Caroline was surprised to see Robert sitting in the mirror area of the store. Taking off his hat, Robert smiled as Caroline was unsure of how to take this sudden appearance by Klaus's trusty butler.

"Robert, what are you doing here?" Caroline asked

"I came to look for you. I went by the campus, but I picked up this morning that something was off with you, so I knew retail therapy was your thing" Robert replied

"So you knew to come to this store?" Caroline asked

"Well no, I just had to walk around a bit…but I found you" Robert told her

"Robert, why are you looking for me?" Caroline asked

"Because I need answers. Mr. Klaus is locked away in his studio, grumpier than ever. Then you leave like a bat out of hell this morning…I suspect something is going on and I have every right to know" Robert said

"Why?" Caroline asked

"Do I really have to state the why again?" Robert asked

"Nothing is going on. I'm fine, I just was late for school this morning" Caroline told him

"Does it have anything to do with Mr. Klaus?" Robert asked as Caroline just looked at him "I mean it seems his temperament goes along with you, as you frustrate him and delight him" he said

"Delight? What do you mean by delight?" Caroline asked frantically "Did he say anything?" she asked

"He didn't have to say anything, I can recognize just about everything that goes on in that house" Robert told her "I get that you two are supposed to be on opposite sides, but I just have this feeling that you two let outside forces dictate what goes on inside, and I think without you even realizing it, you two have become formidable" he told her

"Yeah well, the outside world isn't something you can't ignore on key things" Caroline sighed

"Do you ever get tired of it?" Robert asked

"Of what?" Caroline asked him

"Denying what you want. I maybe wrong about this, but I think you might fancy him a bit as well" Robert told her as Caroline just sighed in frustration "I won't trouble you any longer, I just wanted to check on you" he said as he rose from his seat

"Why do care you so much about him? I mean you barely know him and the things he's done, but yet you care?" Caroline asked

"Because, I think everyone has the right to be happy. I see his darkness, but I see his light. I happen to think with the right people around him, he could be the man that might do this world good" Robert smiled before he looked over the dress that Caroline was wearing "One word of advice Ms. Caroline, simple always speaks volumes when it comes to a dress" he said before he gave her a simple nod of goodbye then made his way to leave. Turning to look back at herself in the mirror, Caroline looked on at the dress as she couldn't help but notice that Robert was correct. Torn away from her thoughts once again, Caroline looked over at her purse to see that it was Damon calling. Knowing that she was sure to be frustrated after this conversation, Caroline hesitantly picked up because she knew there would be no escaping him. If she was going to have any peace for the night, Caroline would have to throw Damon off her trail.

* * *

Sitting in his studio, Klaus looked out the window to see that night time had come upon him. Turning his attention back to his drawing, Klaus had found that what used to be a lack of inspiration was now something that fueled him. Channeling the voices that circled in his head, Klaus saw his drawing as the most therapeutic way to handle his tension. Time and time again, he doodled off in the corners of the pages little pictures of Caroline that burned so evidently in his brain. Seeing the lights begin to flicker in the room, Klaus slowly rose from his stool to look up at the light. Determining how he would go about to try to fix the light, Klaus sighed as he now had to head inside to the house. Taking the walk towards the main house, Klaus could see Robert shuffling about in the kitchen like he usually was at this time of night. Sure that he was going to have dinner shoved into his face as he was sure Robert was keeping track of his eating habits.

"Light bulbs, where are they?" Klaus asked as he closed the door behind him and began to sift through the drawers in the kitchen

"Bottom drawer, to the right" Robert said as Klaus immediately went to the desired location "Have you seen Ms. Caroline?" he then asked

"No Robert, I haven't seen Ms. Caroline" Klaus said in a monotone voice that showed no enthusiasm whatsoever

"She's leaving soon. I'm sure she'll return late" Robert mentioned

"I'm sure she will" Klaus replied as he continued to sift through the drawers

"She's going on a date. A date that has romantic implications that you can't come back from" Robert told him

"Great, I'll be sure to give her a rose basket. Have her things packed for when she moves to that white pickett house she wants so desperately" Klaus replied sarcastically at his butler "Now is there anymore update you want to share old man?" he asked

"Just mere information I felt you needed to know" Robert shrugged "No need to get shirty" he said

"Shirty? Since when do you say shirty?" Klaus asked

"I pick up a few british commentating here and there" Robert reasoned as they both could hear Caroline running down the staircase. Turning his attention towards what was happening in the living room, trying to play off that he wasn't affected, Klaus looked on at the pack of light bulbs that were in his hands.

"I'll be in my studio" Klaus replied as he headed towards the door

"I'd think about that before you leave" Robert told him

"Don't wait up" Klaus told him as he continued on towards his path

"Stop being stubborn" Robert whispered forcefully as he looked over at Klaus

"Goodnight old man" Klaus said as he closed the door behind him

Groaning in frustration with Klaus's stubborn behavior, Robert gripped on tight to his spatula as he was caught in between carrying on with his cleaning. Hearing Caroline make her way into the living room, Robert made his way out towards the living room to see that she was looking over herself in the mirror once more.

"You look stunning" Robert smiled

"Simple is best" Caroline smiled "Is he outside still?" she then asked as she looked over into the kitchen to see if Klaus was hiding out

"Yes. He's found his mojo supposedly" Robert said as he faked a smile

"That's good" Caroline replied "I suppose that's best. Makes things less awkward because of the lack of fancying going on" she told him

"Yes, extreme lacking of fancying going on in this household" Robert agreed before a knock came to the door. "Shall I?" he asked

"No, it's okay. You don't work for me. Though I do request cupcakes, double fudge with strawberry icing" Caroline told him as she made sure to put in her request early

"Most assuredly" Robert replied as Caroline walked towards the door to open it up to see Danny standing on the other side. Greeting Caroline with a smile before he acknowledged Robert.

"Goodnight Robert" Caroline smiled before she closed the door behind her.

**We watch the season pull up its own stakes**

**And catch the last weekend of the last week**

**Before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced,**

**Another sun soaked season fades away**

Slamming the door behind him as he entered into his studio once more, Klaus placed the pack of bulbs on the side table before he looked on at his incomplete work. Walking towards the canvas, Klaus accessed what needed to be done as he just found himself forcing thoughts rather than letting them come natural. He could think about her, Klaus kept telling himself as he just forced art into the brain. A tortured artist is the best artist, Klaus kept telling himself. Beginning to grab his supplies, Klaus needed to occupy himself because there was no time to stop and think, not now. Heading over to grab the rest of his supplies, Klaus opened up the lid on his container before even realizing that once he looked up, he'd be surrounded with pictures of her.

**You have stolen my heart**

**You have stolen my heart**

Walking towards the sedan, Caroline wrapped her jacket around her as the night air began to catch up to her. Danny smiled from ear to ear as if he couldn't wait to take Caroline out on the town, it was like he was a kid on Christmas morning the way he was acting. Looking back towards the house, Caroline felt some sort of urge to wait for a moment. Noticing her hesitation, Danny rubbed the small of her back as he became concerned.

**Invitation only, grand farewells**

**Crash the best one, of the best ones**

**Clear liquor and cloudy-eyed, too early to say goodnight...**

Looking at the sketch he made of her, Klaus sifted through what felt like thousands and thousands of pictures. Taking the stack to put to the side, Klaus turned back to look at the sketch he had begun work on. Running his hand through his hair, Klaus groaned in frustration as even in thought she was managing to screw with him. Running possible scenarios through his mind of how this could all play out, Klaus knew with each shot he'd only end up as the brunt of the joke. There was no way she would ever truly consider him, when her ultimate endgame was going to be Tyler, he thought to himself. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. That's all he could do as his soul even began to ache with the games he was playing with it. Thinking back to the note that she had slid under his door the night before, Klaus felt like his maybe would have to come some time around, and maybe now was the maybe situation.

**You have stolen my heart**

**You have stolen my heart**

Reaching over to put her seatbelt on, Caroline looked up to see Danny looking back at her with confirmation to see if she was ready to leave. Giving a weak smile towards him, Caroline sat back in her seat only to find shock that Klaus was running up to stop the car. Standing in the headlights, Klaus held his hand out to stop or halt any sort of movement that they were about to take. Surprised to see him, Caroline looked over at Danny to see that he was unsure if he should continue to pulling out or should he stay. Caught in between, Caroline knew that Klaus wasn't going to back down so easily. Giving Danny a quick reasoning as to why she had to get out of the car.

"Klaus, what the hell are you doing?" Caroline sniped at him

"Tell him to go" Klaus said nearly out of breath

"What? No, I'm not telling him to go" Caroline reasoned

"Then stay" Klaus quickly replied

"Why?" Caroline asked

"Because I want my maybe. You said maybe, and I want to try that out. I know that I'm not the idea of love, but I don't care" Klaus told her

"I care. You know the reasons why I can't" Caroline told him

"I know the reasons you can't, but I also know what we can be" Klaus said as he felt his soul coming through in his words "I fancy you, and I know I've said that a million times by now, but I can be that person….something is happening between us, and you've got to see that" he told her

"Why now?" Caroline asked as she cursed Klaus for being so difficult

"Because I want you, and now…I'm fighting. I'm fighting like hell to have my maybe because I think we could be great…you just have to take that chance with me" Klaus told her before he slowly extended his hand out towards her "Take the chance on me" he pleaded as Caroline looked back towards the car to see Danny sitting there, unsure as to what she wanted him to do. Turning her attention back towards Klaus, Caroline felt like she had finally come to her crossroads. She had finally been forced to face up to what she truly felt for Klaus.


	11. Hummingbird Heartbeat

**Author's Note: Thank you all for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy the chapter. I look forward to the feedback.**

* * *

**Monster**

**Chapter Eleven-Hummingbird Heartbeat**

* * *

Sitting up in her bed, Caroline sat up against her headboard as she found it difficult to sleep. Nervously tapping her feet under the covers as she brought them up to her chest, Caroline couldn't shake the events of last night. Laying it all out on the line, Klaus showed a different side that she had yet to see from him. Caroline knew that Klaus was passionate about her, and she may have had feelings creep in from her side, but what exactly did this all mean. In her own way, Caroline began to realize that she had chosen Klaus. Caroline had chosen Klaus for at least one night, now what did this all mean. Silently screaming to herself as all the thoughts that came into her head just seemed to drive her insane at this point before she slid back down into the bed.

Sitting up in his bed, Klaus teetered with the thought of trying to eavesdrop again on her, hoping she'd be blabbing her thoughts to either Bonnie or Elena, but then he remembered the outcome of the last time he eavesdropped. Caroline had turned away her date, making up some excuse that her mother was sick so she'd have to tend to her, Caroline ultimately cancelled her scheduled plans for the evening. Was it for him? It had to be for him? Klaus kept saying to himself as he was unsure of what to make of last night. They had barely discussed what they had both decided upon as the simple fact that she remained at the house instead of going out with her friends were shocking to them both. Klaus wasn't going to pressure her, but Klaus couldn't help but feel like he needed to know where they stood with each other. Getting out of the bed, Klaus worked up the nerve to leave his room to demand an answer from her, but before he even managed to turn the door knob, he knew that Caroline wasn't that type of girl that he could demand anything from. Why was she so damn frustrating? He thought to himself before the door quickly opened. Hopping back in surprise, Klaus tried to play cool and content as he semi always was before he realized that it was Robert coming through.

"Where is she? Did I walk in on a morning after moment?" Robert asked excitedly as Klaus groaned while running his hand through his hair.

"She's not in here! And neither should you be" Klaus scolded him

"What'd you do?" Robert asked with a bit of a sigh

"Why do you think I did something?" Klaus asked

"Well history isn't exactly on your side" Robert reasoned

"I didn't do anything!…we didn't do anything" Klaus replied

"What does that mean?" Robert asked a bit confused "I mean she didn't go on her date because you made some dashing declaration, which was brilliant on your part, then you two came back and did…you two did…absolutely nothing" he said working the thought of Caroline and Klaus up in his mind only to reach an epic fail in the romance department

"Exactly" Klaus replied as he began to pace the floor

"Have you talked to her?" Robert asked

"I talked. She should talk now" Klaus replied

"How did you ever remain single for centuries on end?" Robert asked sarcastically as Klaus glared at him

"I made the soddin' declaration of feelings. It's only fair that she at least make some sort of declaration" Klaus told him before Robert nodded in agreement. Feeling as if Robert was understanding him, Klaus began to feel better about his decision before Robert walked over to open up the door "What are you doing?" he asked

"Opening the door for you to go through it. Then since you're quite the brainy person, you'll make a right towards her door, and then for the climax…you'll knock" Robert said as Klaus shook his head in disagreement "Do it!" he then demanded from Klaus before they both heard Caroline's door opened up.

"Robert?" Caroline asked immediately as she saw Robert standing in the doorway while she stood in hers "Is everything okay?" she asked

"Yes, everything is fine" Robert said through gritted teeth "I was just talking to Klaus, who seems to be skipping with roses over certain events that have transpired" he lied while Klaus cursed under his breath towards him

"Skipping?" Caroline asked knowing that sounded a bit odd

"Actual skipping. I swear I almost believe he has pigtails flowing down his backside…" Robert began to say as he purposely antagonized Klaus

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Klaus said before he stepped in the door way to cut off Caroline's view of Robert "I wasn't skipping. I was pacing…you know, walking in place to keep form" he said feeling a bit embarrassed "Did you sleep well?" he then asked after a moment of silence

"Yes, because linen talk is always a casual conversation starter" Robert mumbled under his breath

"Shut up!" Klaus said over his shoulder to Robert while Caroline looked on at the two.

"I slept fine" Caroline responded

"Ask her out" Robert then told him in a whisper

"I will strangle you" Klaus whispered over his shoulder to Robert

"If you want to ask me something than you should just ask" Caroline told him as Klaus straightened up and accessed his options. Feeling like the anticipation from Robert was going to drive him crazy, Klaus sucked it up knowing that if he wanted his maybe then he'd have to put in effort to get it.

"Will you go out on a date with me?" Klaus asked nervously while Caroline looked on at him skeptically "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked

"Are you sure?" Caroline asked

"Yes, I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be, I just asked you" Klaus replied before a moment of silence came between them once more.

"Okay" Caroline agreed as Klaus felt a bit of happiness leap into his soul at her response.

"Good. I mean good to hear you say that because it would've been…" Klaus stumbled for words

"Seeing as you can't really leave the grounds, what exactly do you have planned?" Caroline asked

"Uh, we'll figure or he'll figure that out. Just meet him in the living room at five" Robert told her

"Okay" Caroline agreed as Klaus stood on mute, causing Caroline to look at him with concern on her face.

"Smile, and let it be. Don't say anything that will make you look like an ass" Robert whispered to him as Klaus then forced a smile to Caroline before he backed up into his room in sync with Robert. Listening to his bedroom door close, Caroline stood in the doorway for a moment just thinking how crazy things had gotten in a matter of twenty four hours. Without even realizing it, Caroline managed to let a smile escape. Maybe this could be a good thing? Caroline thought to herself before she made her way back into her room.

* * *

Time seemed to have flown by quickly as five o'clock came sooner than they both had anticipated. Standing in the mirror, Caroline looked over her dress as she couldn't help but feel silly. Why was she dressing up? She asked herself as she found reasons on top of reasons as to why she should take the dress off. Nervous and unsure, Caroline hated that she was feeling this way because it was just Klaus. Normally when she was nervous and unsure it was because it was a boy that she truly liked, maybe she liked Klaus? Maybe he was becoming that boy? Caroline then asked herself as her mind had lead her down a different path than she originally intended. Tonight was the night for answers, and there was nothing Caroline wanted more than to just get Klaus out of her system because she knew that if things continued as they were then they were going to drive each other insane. Finally settling on the fact that she had changed ten times by now, Caroline just accepted that this would be the dress she'd have to settle on. Opening up the door, Caroline made her way downstairs to see that Klaus was standing by the flower place waiting for her. For a moment she felt like she had reached a shortness in breath as the immediate sight of him had taken effect on her.

"Sorry for being late" Caroline said as she walked up towards him while all he could do was stare at her as she managed to do what few could do, take his breath away.

"You look beautiful" Klaus said in a daze before he finally snapped out of it once he realized what he said

"Do you acknowledge that you saying this or will you refute it down the line?" Caroline teased as she walked closer towards him

"I'll probably refute it" Klaus smiled as they shared a laugh

"So what exactly are we supposed to do? I'm a bit anxious to see how you planned to get around the whole boundary spell" Caroline asked

"I have my ways" Klaus told her as Caroline looked at him a bit concerned with what he meant by that "Relax love, it's all within the parameters of the spell. I won't try to escape" he told her

"Oh, I wasn't worried about that. I just was trying to picture how dramatic your death scene would be" Caroline teased "I'm thinking Romeo-esque type of deal, peaceful and to the point" she told him

"Would that make you my Juliet then?" Klaus smiled as his charm began to kick in, which made her go weak in the knees

"You're a looker, but I'll need more than a good look to kill myself because you no longer grace the planet" Caroline replied as she gave the same charm back to him.

"Watch it love, never say never" Klaus said before Robert walked out the kitchen

"Your dinner awaits you" Robert told them as he cleared his throat to get their attention

"Shall we?" Klaus asked as he extended his hand towards her

"Why not" Caroline sighed as she just embraced the fact that she was going out on an actual date with Klaus. Leading her into the kitchen, Caroline looked over at Robert to see him smiling at them. "Good night Robert" she told him before she passed him. Taking her out towards the back yard of the house, Caroline immediately spotted the streaming lights that were hung as a small table sat in the center where the lights met. Noticing that Klaus's eyes were taking in her reaction to the sight, Caroline couldn't help but be amazed by the scenery. "You did this?" she asked

"I can actually take the credit for this, which makes me glad because it makes you reaction even more worth it" Klaus told her as he not once took his eyes off of her

"It's beautiful" Caroline turned to tell him as a smile came to her face

"Good" Klaus replied feeling relieved to have her seal of approval.

* * *

Sitting and enjoying their dinner, Caroline found herself looking out at the scenery more than usual. It just felt like a scene out of a movie with how gorgeous the house all ready was on top of the added decorum. If Klaus was able to, Caroline was sure that he would've expanded on to the house, but the simplicity of it all just took her back more than anything. Klaus found himself staring at her like he was trying to remember every facial expressions for future drawings he was sure to do of her. Even with a simple meal under twinkling lights, Klaus found that his heart was beating at a rapid pace with just being near her. Looking over at the water that they had gone skinny dipping in, Caroline began to realize that they were making memories on the property that Klaus had set aside to be his families residence.

"So I think this is the part where we say interesting facts about each other, you know since this is a date" Caroline said

"Right, and what are the guidelines of what I should say?" Klaus asked as he wiped his mouth

"Anything. I mean you're trying to impress me on this date" Caroline told him

"The scenery hasn't impressed you?" Klaus asked with a bit of laughter

"You get points, but it's not a home run for you" Caroline laughed "C'mon tell me something. Let me in to the world that is Klaus Michaelson" she said

"Uh….I like to read" Klaus just blurted out as Caroline looked at him like that was something she all ready knew without having to be told

"Okay, I think that's something that's blatantly obvious" Caroline replied

"Just steer me in the right direction. I'm sure you want to know something, I just don't talk about myself on command" Klaus told her

"That's fair" Caroline agreed as she took a moment to think about what she wanted to know about Klaus "Why'd you pick this house? Or should I say this mansion?" she asked

"That intrigues you?" Klaus questioned

"It does. I hate to say it, but I like your house. It's got this whole elegance theme to it, that surprisingly puts you in a new light" Caroline said

"I guess I just wanted a big house or a mansion as you call it because I had hoped my family would stay in it. As kids, Bekkah and I would talk about building fortresses so that we wouldn't have to worry about villagers devastating the land before winter. Michael wasn't a man to live beyond his means, nor was he one to splurge…but I just felt like having a home that you fill with family was satisfactory enough. You spoil family with riches, regardless of what the world may think because at the end a home is your place to be a family so why not enjoy it" Klaus replied

"That has got to be the single most perfect answer I've ever heard" Caroline said after a few moments of shock at how he responded "Your big on family, huh? I mean I saw how mad you got when I accused Kol, but even though I was technically right, you still defended your brother" she said

"I love my family. Doesn't matter what happens along the way, you're supposed to love your family or else what does that say about your loyalties as a person" Klaus said

"Even though they left you alone?" Caroline asked

"I'm good with being alone. I've been alone my whole life even with being surrounded by family. I guess it's all apart being the black sheep of the family" Klaus said

"Because they're all your step siblings" Caroline concluded

"Doesn't matter about it being step siblings, we still have the same love as if we were actual brother and sister" Klaus said as Caroline just shook her head in agreement.

"I like your view on family" Caroline smiled weakly as thoughts of her father came flooding to her mind

"Maybe you'll tell me your definition" Klaus said as he took a sip from his glass of water

"Maybe" Caroline smiled weakly as she wasn't sure she wanted to get into the full details of her family because she wasn't even sure how she felt at times about it.

* * *

After what was a delicious dinner, Klaus took it upon himself to show Caroline around the full property since she was so enamored with it. Feeling like he was beginning to loosen up, Klaus felt a bit more relaxed around Caroline as they walked down towards the garden he had set up for his mother. It was like he opened up and became more light as the minutes passed by, which ultimately made Caroline feel more comfortable around him. Before Caroline had always felt on edge with Klaus because she was never so sure how he would be, but now it was like hanging out with a friend. Caroline couldn't help but notice Klaus's childlike excitement as he spoke of the things that he was passionate about as they walked together.

"Is this your mother's garden?" Caroline asked as they stopped to look at the big, colorful flowers that were in the garden.

"This would be that" Klaus said as he extended his hand towards her to lead her down the small steep hill that lead them towards the garden

"I thought you were exaggerating, but I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful garden and I don't even care too much for gardens" Caroline laughed as she grabbed on to Klaus's hand while he lead her down the hill. Unsure if she should keep her hand in his, Caroline couldn't help but notice that the small gesture had become something that was comforting to her in this setting. Realizing their hands were still linked, Klaus let go of her hand as he didn't want to ruin the moment with her.

"Most of the flowers were small treasures that were hidden in the woods of Mystic Falls, but most of them I had sent over" Klaus said as he walked down the rows to take in the scent that they gave off "The garden was her spiritual place. Perhaps, that's something that drove her towards witchery" he said

"Bonnie always says that nature and witchery do go hand in hand. Explain so much now" Caroline said as she walked down the opposite side to look on at them, as they peeked through the flowers in between that they passed.

"Do you recognize any of these flowers?" Klaus asked as he smiled

"I don't know my gardens all too well" Caroline laughed before they met at the end of the aisle. Noticing the smile on his face, Klaus moved his hand in front of her to reach for the pink colored flower as his childlike wonder began to go in full display once again for her to see.

"This is an Aster. Butterflies tend to love this one" Klaus smiled as he spoke about the flower

"I can see why" Caroline smiled as Klaus moved on to the next flower that caught his attention as he turned around towards another.

"This one is my favorite. It's a toad lilly, I think I like it because of the name" Klaus laughed as he looked back at Caroline "Keeps things from getting dull, and it's easy care" he told her

"Never dull, that would be the best way to describe you. What's this one?" Caroline asked as she walked beside him to where their arms were rubbing against each other. Feeling the touch of her skin against his, Klaus couldn't help but feel an electricity shoot through him as she seemed to have that effect on him without even knowing. Obliging her wish to know of the flowers that surrounded her, Klaus snapped out of his daze of her and reached towards the flower.

"The Lemon Queen, that's what they call the Perennial Sunflower" Klaus told her

"A queen…figures I'd like it" Caroline laughed to herself "What makes it a queen?" she asked

"While most are fascinated with the bigger sunflowers, The Lemon Queen always manages to steal the show. People think that because it's big and colorful that it has to be some sort of sunflower for the obvious reasons of it being yellow, which is complete bollocks way of thinking, but it's a true gem. The Lemon Queen is a beauty of her own class that gives any sunflower a run for it's money" Klaus told her as Caroline couldn't help but blush at the subtle undertones he put in that seemed to be directed towards her.

"Flowers in popularity wars, interesting" Caroline laughed "Maybe I could do this whole witchery thing then, I mean to be close to hear what beef the sunflowers and perennials have to say to each other, that should be classic" she teased as he just laughed at her humor.

"A garden may not be the life of a party, but it has its flare for the dramatics" Klaus told her as she turned her back towards him as they began to walk down the aisle while he stood behind her talking. Feeling his words penetrate against her neck, Caroline swore that she never wanted him to stop talking because she was sure that she could envision his lips kissing and prodding at her neck in the most sensual of manners. "Where to next love?" he asked as he walked beside her so that he could get in front to catch her hand so that he could help her up the steep hill.

"It's your house. You show me around" Caroline flirted as she walked in front of him, making sure to flash him a devilish smile that enticed him even further.

* * *

Taking off her shoes, Caroline placed her shoes in her hand to carry as they walked along the grassy knolls of the house to see the waterfront. Feeling a chill come through, Caroline wasn't surprised by the slightest that Klaus had instinctively taken his jacket off to cover her with it. It was as if she expected him to at some point because it no secret that he was a gentlemen. The moon glistening off of the water caught her attention as passing by the sight seemed to be no option for her as she just had to take a seat to take this in. Noticing her sudden stop, Klaus turned back to see that she was taking a seat on the grassy knoll. Walking over towards her, Caroline looked up at him before she patted the space beside her so that he could sit down beside her. Hesitant at first, Klaus took a seat beside her.

"It's nights like these where I remember how beautiful Mystic Falls can be" Caroline said as she stared off at the stars

"Nights in Paris could rival this" Klaus smiled as she turned to look at him

"Because you're quite the globetrotter, right?" Caroline teased him

"I've had the privileged to see the world. See real disasters as opposed to the self imposed disasters humans make. I've lived both beyond and at the edge, I've lived and that's the one thing I've become proud of" Klaus told her

"And with whom have you shared these moments with?" Caroline asked as he grew silent "Those moments are great, but they don't mean much if there isn't anyone to share it with" she told him

"I'm hoping I can change that" Klaus said as they stared at each other for a moment. Looking into his eyes, Caroline couldn't help but see a sincerity in them that made her heart warm and leap up in excitement like never before. "How am I doing so far?" he asked in a whisper as she saw his head lean in towards her. Back and forth in her head, Caroline went into a frenzy on what she should do but found that it wasn't catching up to what she was about to do. Leaning in towards him, the distance shrunk by the second.

"Too early to tell" Caroline replied before her lips touched his. The kisses prior had both been that of lust, that wasn't the best range of knowing if she truly had feelings for Klaus, but with this kiss…it just felt like they were taking their time to explore each other. Bringing his hand up towards the side of her face, Klaus tilted his head to allow greater access into her mouth. Like nipping at the sweetest of fruit, Caroline sucked on his bottom lip as they entered into a comfortable exchange where they glided naturally. Moaning into his mouth, Klaus leaned in closer towards her as he deepened the kiss while she took her free hand to grip on to the front of his shirt for some sort of support. Sliding her tongue on top of his, Caroline played with him at first as she inch by inch massaged her tongue with his before he eventually devoured her. Slowly breaking the kiss, Caroline and Klaus rested their foreheads up against each other as they took a moment to catch their breaths.

"Now?" Klaus asked as a laugh escaped him while he still saw her struggle to catch her breath

"You're doing good" Caroline smiled before he leaned in to capture her lips once more. "Getting better" she said in between kisses as he smiled against her lips.

* * *

Walking into the kitchen, Caroline looked around to see if Robert was up snooping around to see if he could get some bit of information on how the evening went. Leading the way into the living room, Klaus quickly stopped on the drop of the dime, which caught Caroline off guard. Pointing out an asleep Robert on the sofa, Caroline couldn't help but burst into laughter while Klaus did all he could to keep them from being heard as he grabbed her hand to escort her up the stairs. If there was any possible way for him to prolong the night, Klaus would've given anything for that option to come up at any point as they walked towards their respective bedrooms. Coming upon their rooms, Klaus stopped in front of his while she walked towards her room before they both stood in front of each other.

"So this is our stop" Klaus said

"I suppose it is" Caroline replied

"By any chance, do you happen to foresee another follow up to this?" Klaus asked "You know just based off what you see or liked about tonight" he then added

"I liked tonight" Caroline said

"Even the…" Klaus began to say

"Even that" Caroline replied knowing that he was referring to the kiss they had shared

"Good" Klaus smiled as he looked at her "I know this isn't the idea situation for how I wanted to court you, but I hope that we learned something new about each other" he told her

"I think under the circumstances, you managed to put together a great night. I mean I never would've imagined that being in a garden would catch my fascination…I guess you make things that I once thought was so boring, fun" Caroline said

"That's not to say that I don't find what you like fascinating" Klaus replied

"So you'd be game for whatever I want next?" Caroline asked

"Oh, so there will a next time?" Klaus asked as he quickly caught on to what she had said

"You're presuming" Caroline laughed

"I'm stating what was being said" Klaus told her "C'mon love, you can't deny it any longer. You enjoyed yourself, with me at that" he teased

"I enjoy you, that hasn't been an issue" Caroline told him "The question was my feelings for you" she told him

"And that? Is my maybe coming around" Klaus asked as he moved closer towards her

"I gave you your maybe by going out with you" Caroline teased

"And you have yet to answer the earlier question" Klaus replied as she tugged on his shirt while the distance between them decreased.

"Do I really have to answer? I mean you should feel secure with yourself to know if you impressed me or not" Caroline teased before he slowly tilted his head as he was aching to kiss her again. Playing on his need, Caroline grabbed on to both sides of his waist as she enjoyed teasing him.

"This is bloody insane" Klaus told her

"It is. It is very much so" Caroline laughed before he worked up the nerve to kiss her once more. His lips pressed against hers, Klaus found the comfort that he needed as he felt the only peace he had ever felt in his life with her lips against his. "Goodnight" she said after she broke the kiss, hoping that Klaus wouldn't see her knees go out. Letting go of her hold on his shirt, Caroline quickly turned towards her door not realizing that it was still closed. Bumping into the door, Klaus held his laughter as he couldn't help but feel impressed now knowing that she could be so clumsy around him. Shielding her face from his, Caroline didn't want to imagine what smug look he had on his face. Opening the door quickly, Caroline couldn't waste one moment stuck in this embarrassment. "See you around" she said quickly as she vanished before he could even say anything in response.

"Goodnight love" Klaus laughed before he made his way into his room.

* * *

Splashing water onto her face as she finished up washing her face, Caroline looked up at her reflection in the mirror. Usually she wouldn't stare too much at herself in the mirror, but Caroline couldn't manage to shake the smile that was plastered on her face. Ever since departing from Klaus, Caroline found herself thinking about the date that they had. She had gone in to the date thinking that it wouldn't lead to much but some sort of an attraction that she had since she was newly single, but this just felt different to her. Klaus was open with her, Klaus was funny with her, Klaus was sarcastic, Klaus was just normal with her and she never thought that could be something to be said with Klaus in the same sentence. Groaning in frustration, Caroline didn't want to admit that she liked Klaus but she couldn't deny that whatever minimal feeling she had for him, it grew substantially by the end of the night. Coming out of her restroom, Caroline pulled the covers back before she got into the bed. Getting comfortable in the bed, Caroline rested back on her pillow just trying to go to sleep but once again found her thoughts going towards this evening. Just as she began to toss and turn in her bed, Caroline heard a knock come to her door. Quickly getting up from the bed, Caroline opened the door to see Klaus pacing the floor.

"Klaus" Caroline said before he turned around to see her standing in the doorway "It's three in the morning" she said as she looked back at the clock

"I needed to ask before I find some soddin' reason to back out because I happen to think that you had a great time tonight, which is good because I had a great time…" Klaus began to ramble

"What did you want to ask?" Caroline asked as she cut him off

"Go out with me again?" Klaus asked with a bit of laugh as Caroline just laughed

"You've lost your mind" Caroline laughed "But yes, I will go out with you again" she said as Klaus smiled from ear to ear with her answer

"Okay, I'm good now. I'm very good now that I know your answer" Klaus said before he walked back over towards his room

"Where are you going?" Caroline asked as she looked over at him

"To bed" Klaus replied as he looked at her with a bit of confusion

"I thought we could begin our date" Caroline said

"Now?' Klaus asked a bit surprised

"No time like the present, right?" Caroline asked as she headed into her room while Klaus stood in a bit of confusion as to how things were going down. Following behind her into the room, Caroline crawled into the bed on her side while Klaus hesitantly stayed back just waiting to see what he should do at this point. Looking over at him as she pulled the covers up towards her as she rested her head on her pillow, all while Klaus looked on with utter confusion as to what he should do along with what he wanted to do. "Do you need an invitation?" she asked with a bit of a yawn.

"It'd be impolite love to just assume" Klaus laughed embarrassingly to himself

"Klaus, do you want to get in bed with me?" Caroline sighed as he nodded to her wish as he could only oblige her wishes. Walking slower towards the other side of the bed, still wanting to give her some bit of respect, Klaus got in the bed slowly. Pulling the cover up towards him, Caroline rolled over to face him so that she was laying on her side. Getting situated in the bed, Klaus slowly came his to his position as he too was laying on his side. Face to face. Looking at each other with bare hearts and soul. Caroline let a smile break as the simplicity of him being in her bed didn't seem as repulsive as she once would've thought, but rather pleasing.

"Tell me something about yourself" Klaus whispered as he smiled at every image of her, knowing that if she would talk she'd drift off to sleep but to him that's what he wanted. He wanted to see her rest.

"I think I may have went on a pretty fantastic date with some ass of a guy" Caroline teased as Klaus just laughed

"Oh, really" Klaus laughed "It must be a British thing then" he joked along with her. Just like that, a few barbs here and there, they spent the night exchanging glances as they wanted to be sure that what they saw in each other was real. Talking. Laughing. Caroline drifted off into a peaceful as their heads lay next to each other. Caroline knew that this was the best date she had ever been on.


	12. More Than You Can Imagine

**Author's Note: I hope you enjoy the chapter, and I look forward to your feedback :)**

* * *

**Monster**

**Chapter Twelve- More Than You Can Imagine**

* * *

_**Stepping into the running water, Caroline submerged her head into the warm water as she felt a sense of relaxation from it. Closing her eyes as she just stood in the warmth, Caroline sighed in complete comfort as a nice hot shower was exactly what she needed. Tension had arose in her back, but she was determined to get rid of the tension in any means possible. So lost in her fleeting thoughts, Caroline couldn't manage to hear the sound of the sliding door of the shower open up. Slipping in behind her, Caroline then heard the sound of footsteps behind her before she quickly turned around to see that Klaus was behind her. Caught off guard by his presence, Caroline was unable to make as much as a sound before his lips crashed against hers. So much of her wanted to push him away as things were moving way too fast, too soon for her, but the sensation she felt from his lips on her caused her to think otherwise. Pressing her up against the cold tile of the shower, Klaus pinned her hands back as he assaulted her with animalistic kisses. Caroline always knew that she was his desire, but to feel his desire was another thing. Picking her up, Klaus's frame would never come across as strong, but the way he picked her up and managed to hold her position had astonished her. Breaking away from his kiss, Klaus attacked the crook of her neck as he placed wet kisses while she moaned out in sheer pleasure. Wildly she ran her hands through his hair as he kept his concentration on the upper half of her body as he placed kisses from her neck to the hills of her breasts. Gripping on tight with her legs, Caroline grip mostly came from her trying to stifle any part of her that wanted to scream out in pleasure so that they wouldn't be heard. Tearing away from his assault, Klaus pressed his forehead against her chest as he took a moment to take her in. Looking up at her, Caroline couldn't help but show pleading eyes as she so desperately wanted him to continue.**_

"_**This isn't real" Klaus muttered as he tucked away a strand of hair from her face before she gave him a look of confusion as to what he meant.**_

"_**What?" Caroline asked…..**_

**[Present]**

Immediately opening her eyes up from her slumber, Caroline looked over to see Klaus asleep on his side of the bed. Feeling her breathing had become a bit erratic. Was it possible she was thinking dirty thoughts about him? She questioned herself as the shock of her dream had set in. Studying the Original closely, Caroline couldn't help but be shocked by the features that she was suddenly starting to notice about him. His lips. His hair. His muscular tone. Doesn't snore or drool. The more she gave attention towards his physical appearance, Caroline bugged out for a moment as the declaration was becoming clearer than she could ever imagine, Klaus was sexually pleasing to the eye. Just as she began to control herself from being so worked up from the wet dream she had of him, Klaus began to stir awake.

"What time is it?" Klaus sighed as he let out a slight yawn while Caroline quickly sat up on her side of the bed

"Uh, it's eight" Caroline replied quickly

"Eight, huh?" Klaus said as he began to rub his eyes while he sat up on the side of the bed. "Does it feel hot in here?" he then asked as Caroline got lost in her thoughts once more "Caroline" he said looking over his shoulder to look at her

"Huh, what?" Caroline asked a bit off guard

"Feels like a bloody steamer, do you feel it?" Klaus asked

"No, I don't. I feel wet…I mean cold because I'm far from hot of any sort" Caroline told him before he turned around to look at her. Noticing that she was fidgety, Klaus observed her for a bit before he finally picked up that she was a bit off.

"I can see the heat has made you mad" Klaus replied

"The heat hasn't made me into anything. There's no heat, why do you want heat?" Caroline asked

"No, which is why I'm asking" Klaus said

"Wait, when is the last time you had heat?" Caroline asked as she found her mind trail off

"Uh, I don't know….probably when my soddin chest was on fire in that caskett. Why are you asking about heat?" Klaus asked her

"Because you're asking?" Caroline said before a knock came to the door

"Ms. Caroline" Robert called out gleefully

"Great, now he knows" Klaus muttered under his breath as he rolled his eyes

"Yes" Caroline called out

"Have you seen ? I've prepared his breakfast but I can't seem to find him" Robert asked hoping to get his confirmation

"Do I answer this or lie?" Caroline asked as she looked over at Klaus

"He'll be a soddin' maniac if you don't" Klaus sighed as he walked over to open the door. Happiness wrapped in excitement came to Robert's face as he saw that his suspicions were confirmed, Robert did all he could to keep himself together but he just couldn't hide the fact that he was happy that the first date between the two had turned out so well. Caroline sat in the bed while Klaus stood at the door with it opened wide enough for Robert to see inside "Get the grin off your face old man, and stop looking like a knit" he quickly told Robert

"Right" Robert obliged his wishes "May I ask a question?" he asked

"Depending on what it is, ask a prying question, I might rip your tongue out. Ask a safe question and I'll let you live" Klaus told him

"Because that sounds logical to say" Caroline told Klaus as he griped "No, I don't feel the heat" she then declared

"Heat?" Robert asked in confusion

"I feel heat" Klaus quickly replied to clear it up for Robert

"As you should after a nights worth…" Robert began to say

"Mind your words" Klaus reminded him of his earlier threats

"There's a bit of heat, I'll be sure to adjust the thermostat" Robert said the smile quickly came back to his face "Shall I bring breakfast in bed?" he asked as Klaus just groaned "I'll take that as a no. I'll be sure to see you downstairs, but take you time, no hurry" he smiled proudly before he quickly took off down the staircase

"I begin to worry about my compelling" Klaus sighed as he walked over towards the side of the bed of where she sat "Are you second guessing what happened last night?" he then asked her as he looked at her with sincerity in his eyes, hoping that she'd be honest

"No, I don't regret it" Caroline replied quickly and instinctively

"Good because I don't want to scare you…I'll try my hardest to not scare you" Klaus told her as he looked away from her eyes. Noticing the depleted emotion he had on his face, Caroline grabbed on to his hand causing him to turn his attention towards her.

"You don't scare me" Caroline told him as she forced him to look at her "This is new, and will take time to adjust…but you don't scare me" she said making it a point to convince him of the fact

"Good" Klaus said as a smile emerged from him "I'll see you downstairs" he said as he played with her hand a bit.

"Yes, you will see me Klaus" Caroline nodded in agreement as he hesitantly let go of her hand as he backed over towards the door. Watching him close the door behind him, Caroline sat in amazement as she couldn't possibly believe that her heart had gone to zero to hundred in one night.

* * *

While Caroline was at school, Klaus took it upon himself to do something productive as he didn't want to come across as some love drunk idiot that awaited her return. There was no doubt that Klaus was excited with how things were going, but Klaus wouldn't let his emotions get the best of him. Robert was all but ready to throw a celebration parade over breakfast, but a couple of glares from Klaus had toned down the mental party Robert was throwing. Escaping to his studio, Klaus sat on his stool looking on at the blank canvas before him. In his mind he had come to filter the voices that flooded his mind, but one singular voice had managed to seep it's way in to make him feel like he was finally in control of his slow process of living with a soul. With the soul, Klaus found that he could feel a bit more than normal. He could feel sparks of happiness whenever he was around Caroline or when he thought about her, he could feel guilt whenever he thought about some of the things he had done. Klaus felt and most importantly he was allowing himself to feel rather than push it aside. Picking up his pencil, Klaus began to draw before he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in" Klaus groaned in frustration of being interrupted as Robert made his way inside the studio with a phone in hand "What now old man?" he asked as Robert walked up beside him

"A has called for you" Robert whispered as he covered the phone. Looking on at Robert with a bit of suspicion, Klaus grabbed the phone from Robert as he rose from his seat on the stool.

"Rebekah?" Klaus asked as he walked around the room but found silence on the phone. Honing in to what he was hearing on the phone, Klaus could hear slight sniffles as if she was crying to herself "Rebekah" he said once more in a calming voice

"It's been so long since I've heard your voice Nik" Rebekah smiled through the tears as the excitement of her brothers "I'm sorry for being so rubbish…" she began to say

"How are you?" Klaus asked instinctively of his baby sister

"I'm good. I'm doing good Nik" Rebekah told him as it only reassured him "I've managed to take care of myself, you'd be proud Nik" she told him

"That's good" Klaus replied "I assume you've talked to Kol?" he asked

"I have, which has prompted this call" Rebekah said "Kol told me that you denied his help, why?" she asked

"I denied because Kol's plans tend to fall short in one way or another" Klaus quickly replied "You know better than anyone that Kol has a tendency to look at the grand scheme as opposed to the overall" he said as he looked over to see Robert listening closely. Opening the door, Klaus motioned for Robert to leave as Robert reluctantly left the conversation.

"Yes, but Nik this could free you from that wretched spell they've placed on you. I know more than anyone that you don't want Elijah's involvement in this, but sooner or later, Elijah will step in and I can't say that I will do anything to stop him. Damon is probably chomping at the bit over this" Rebekah told him

"Elijah is not, nor will he be my proclaimed savior. I will handle this" Klaus told her

"How? What's your plan?" Rebekah asked

"My plan have been impaired with this soddin' soul, but I've begun to understand how it works" Klaus told her

"So understanding your emotions is your plan….I feel so much better now that I know you can stop yourself from crying" Rebekah replied sarcastically

"I'd mind your comments Rebekah. I don't see you with one, so until then, you'll have to live vicariously live through me" Klaus told her "I will figure out a way, and I will collect on my revenge" he told her

"I've got some business to tend to with some witches, but I shall return soon Nik" Rebekah told him with a bit of hope in her voice

"No!" Klaus replied quickly "I mean I don't want you hovering over me in this process, I have still a ways to go but I assure you I am coming along" he said defending his outburst as he didn't want his sister to be suspicious

"Fine. I'll trust your word on this Nik, but I intend to keep my promise Nik. I'm coming back for you, you're my brother and I miss you" Rebekah told him

"I miss you" Klaus sighed as he hated lying to his sister

* * *

Tapping her pencil fervently as she sat at her desk, Caroline found herself becoming more eager for the teacher to pass out the results of her test than hearing on and on about today's lesson. Avoiding all eye contact with Danny, Caroline had barely remembered that it was but a few days ago that she had sent him away in account of spending the evening with Klaus. Luckily Danny wasn't the type to hold grudges. Realizing that the teacher wasn't going to switch topics or release the class early, Caroline sighed as she resorted to just suck it up and endure the pain that was this lecture speech.

_**Resting her chin on her fist, Caroline slumped on her desk as she did her best to listen in on what the teacher was talking about. Surprised that she was actually understanding what was being said, Caroline felt a sense of pride that she was making some advancement in portraying to be smart. Letting out a slight yawn as she jotted down a few key notes to remember. Just as she began to write down the phrase, in which the teacher was talking about, Caroline felt his warm touch on top of hers. Alarmed to see his hand placed upon hers, Caroline looked over in complete shock to see that Klaus was sitting beside her.**_

"_**There'll be no use for that love" Klaus whispered to her as he wore that devilish smirk on his face**_

"_**What are you doing here? You're not supposed…" Caroline began to ask in a whisper as she hoped the teacher wouldn't notice her**_

"_**You know he's a twat. I can see why you don't understand" Klaus replied as he turned his chair around to face her **_

"_**You can't be here right now" Caroline whispered back angrily as she stared fiercely at him. Before she could manage to say anything else to him, Klaus instantly goes in to kiss her. Nipping at her bottom lip, Caroline looked around in utter shock as her classmates appeared unaware of the fact that Klaus was kissing her. Knowing that she should push him away, Caroline couldn't help but add a few kisses in that ultimately led to her kissing him back. Massaging his tongue against hers, Caroline moaned in to his mouth as his hands cradled her face. Ripping his lips away from hers, Caroline sighs in pure pleasure as he begins to kiss the crook of her neck.**_

"_**You really should go" Caroline breathed as she found it hard to concentrate on the fact that she should stop him as she rested her hand on his should as he continued his open mouth kisses on her neck, but found no response from him as he just continued. At this point, Caroline was unsure if she even wanted him to stop. Sliding his free hand along the inside of her thigh. "Stop it" she said making one final attempt to stop him but found that her words were becoming weak along with her. The more she succumbed, the more others around her began to fade away to where it was just Klaus and her. **_

_**His finger slowly invaded her as she gripped on tight the ledge of the desk. Caroline shivered as her body naturally reacted to his assualt. Closing her eyes intently, she felt him penetrate at a steady pace inside of her. Pursing her lips, Caroline tried her best to contain herself but found that as the sensation grew inside of her, the more she had to release. Feeling her heartbeat go at a rapid pace, Caroline could feel his eyes watching her closely as if he wanted to see what the torment of his actions were doing to her. In and out. In and out. In and out. Caroline rode the high she was on, just trying to control herself. Klaus looked on intently as he determined his pace on how hard she tried to hold back. Wanting to push her to the brink of pleasure, Klaus inserted another finger into the fold as he continued his technique. Breathing a bit harder. Gripping on to the desk a little tighter.**_

"_**I want to hear you" Klaus whispered into her ear as she tried to hold on as long as possible "I want to hear you, I need to hear you" he whispered before she finally let a moan escaped her.**_

**[Present]**

"Oh, God!" Caroline moaned out louder than she had anticipated. Suddenly all the attention from her classmates had shifted towards her, which let her know that she was no longer in her fantasy. Laughing nervously as she watched the teacher relieve herself of her glasses, Caroline couldn't help but feel red with embarrassment.

"Is there anything you'd like to share with the class ?" The teacher asked

"No, I think I've shared enough" Caroline said as she shrunk down in her seat.

* * *

Wasting no time in fleeing from the classroom, Caroline couldn't wait to hop in her car and just rush out of sight from everyone. Getting a few calls from her mother on her drive back to the mansion, Caroline made mental notes to call but she just couldn't really talk at the moment. The look on everyone's face as she moaned out, it just horrified her to know that now everyone in her class knows what she sounds like while having sex. Pulling into the driveway, Caroline grabbed her bag and stormed towards the door. Making her way inside the house, Caroline met Robert at the stairway as he was a bit surprised to see her back so soon since she usually goes out with her friends after school for a bit. Surpassing him on her way upstairs, Robert could tell that something was up and he was in no mood to be in her path of rage. Climbing the staircase, Caroline turned the corner only to bump into Klaus. Typically this would've been normal, but Klaus stood with water dripping from his body and a towel wrapped around the lower half of his body. Taking in the sight, Caroline began to fan herself as it just seemed to sex was everywhere when it came to Klaus. The water trickling down his six pack that she had now confirmed to be true with her own eyes, Caroline pouted as it all just kept slapping her in the face on how sexy he was.

"I'm sorry love, I didn't see you" Klaus laughed as he was a bit surprised to see that she was back "Is everything okay?" he asked as he ran his hand through his wet hair.

"….yes, everything is fine" Caroline sighed as she tried not to let his nakedness get to her "I have to go" she said as she pushed past and walked over towards her room

"Uh, something is not right. You've been acting weird all day" Klaus said as he followed behind her

"I'm on my cycle" Caroline quickly through out any reasoning to get him off her trail before she realized that he was in her room.

"Cycle? What the…" Klaus began to say in confusion by what that meant

"Don't say bloody hell because that's exactly what it is" Caroline said as she covered his mouth with her hand

"Then why are you acting so weird?" Klaus asked after he removed her hand from the top of his mouth "Are you freaking out about last night? Because I can take it. I mean you yanked me around, but I'll understand if you don't feel the same way" he said

"I just don't understand how it got to this" Caroline said as she began to pace the floor

"I thought we were gradually there together. I thought the other night with the whole giving me my maybe happened" Klaus said

"I did, I was…I gave you a lot apparently" Caroline reasoned as she continued to pace

"Then what?" Klaus asked "Caroline, look at me!" he demanded of her as she finally stopped dead in her tracks to look at him. Looking at him only got worse by the minutes as all she could see was the bit of sunlight glistening against his body, well toned body.

"I can't tell you because it makes no sense, and I'm not sure I even understand it" Caroline told him

"Understand what?" Klaus asked. Stepping towards him, Caroline was prepared to tell him the truth and reveal her fantasies, but Caroline felt as if maybe if she slayed the dragon that was in her mind, maybe it'll all go away. Staring at her with confusion, wanting Caroline to talk to him, Klaus could only see her look away from him. Over and over in her head, Caroline battled with what she should do. "Fine, you don't want to talk, I'll go" he said before Caroline used her speed to force him up against the door. "What are you doing?" he questioned her as he tried to figure out what was going on with her. Crashing her lips against his, Caroline capture his bottom lip. Moving her hands towards his face, Caroline held on to both sides of his face as all Klaus could do was return the same passion and intensity she gave to him.

"Is the door locked?" Caroline asked in between kisses as she attempted to tug at his towel

"Wait, wait" Klaus said as he immediately ripped away from her lips

"For what?" Caroline asked in confusion as to why he put a sudden pause on them

"So what, you want to bang now? What the bloody hell is going on with you?" Klaus asked in confusion "I mean I'm just trying to keep up" he said

"Bang isn't exactly a word I would use or…ever use. Look, this whole day, I just couldn't stop picturing you or us doing the whole bang thing. So I figured if we just did it, then I'd stop thinking about" Caroline told him

"And I'm just suppose to drop trouser and perform. Is that the type of git I've become?" Klaus asked

"No, but it's like its all I can think about" Caroline told him as she ran her hand through her hair "So I just think we should get it over with, it's inevitable at this point, which is weird of me to say because you and I…that's still a stretch" she said as Klaus couldn't help but feel even more insulted by how casual she made it seem between them "Since Robert is probably baking, we'd have enough time" she reasoned as Klaus just stood there with no clear emotion on his face. Looking on at Klaus, Caroline tried to gage if he was up for it but could see nothing that indicated otherwise. With Tyler, sex was just something they did whether they truly wanted to or not. Klaus on the other hand still served as a mystery to her because she just couldn't decipher him

"I have other things to tend to" Klaus finally spoke after a few moments

"Other things that set precedence over us finally…you know?" Caroline questioned

"Yes" Klaus said before he turned to open the door

"Klaus" Caroline called out as he stood still "I'm offering myself to you, and you're just going to leave" she said trying to get clarification on the matter as she just felt a little offended by how disinterested he was

"That's precisely what I'm doing love" Klaus said "I'll be sure to put clothes on to defer you from those thoughts" he said as he made his way out of the room. Shaking her head in confusion, Caroline flopped down on the edge of the bed as she looked on at where he once stood.

"Did this really just happen?" Caroline questioned herself in disbelief

* * *

Trying to figure out what had transpired between them, Caroline knew she had ended up on Klaus's bad side as dinner seemed to be filled with nothing but tension. Klaus sat at the head of the table, poking and prodding at his food, while Caroline sat to the left of him trying to make small talk. Usual mutters or groans of frustration came from him as a means to just oblige the fact that she was talking, but once finished he made a quick escape to his studio. Robert seemed to feel more dejected than anything at the backwards progress that was going on between them. Swearing that she wasn't going to kiss up to Klaus because she had clearly offered him her on a silver platter, but ultimately he rejected; Caroline was in no mood to comfort him when it was her that needed the comfort. He invaded her thoughts in the sexual sense and now he was invading in the frustration sense. Wrestling back and forth in her bed as she attempted to sleep, Caroline got up from the bed to press her ear against the wall to hear if he was in his room. Hearing no sounds of him, Caroline concluded that he was still in his art studio. Unable to deal with what was going on, Caroline bit the bullet and made the long trek out towards the studio. Opening the door without the required knock he requested on who ever came to visit, Klaus turned around to show the black marks that was on his shirt and his cheek from bout of painting.

"What are you doing out here?" Klaus asked as he tossed his brush into the pale of water

"If you're going to be a jackass, you should tell people as to why you're being a jackass. I mean I strongly believe that I didn't deserve it, but clearly I missed something because you're still a jackass for no reason" Caroline babbled

"I'm a jackass, that's a leap for your vocabulary" Klaus said as he continued on with his artwork

"What was that back in the room? I mean I thought you'd be lamenting the opportunity…" Caroline began to say

"To bang you" Klaus quickly replied as she looked at him with utter disgust over his chosen word "You hate the word, I know, but that's pretty much what you asked of me" he said

"Sex and bang sound completely different, and I'm sorry that I had a pulse and wanted consensual sex. Do you want to snatch another body and have sex with me? because I didn't know that was your style of things" Caroline questioned

"I don't want to have sex with you!" Klaus yelled in frustration

"And you've made that perfectly clear" Caroline replied a bit startled by his tone

"You must be screwed in the head? I mean you must have some sort of bugger in you that just makes you prone to think that every person wants to just have sex. Is that some sort of a human thing?" Klaus asked sarcastically

"Wow, you're really on a role. Do continue? because I'd like to know other insulting things you'd think I should know about myself" Caroline asked

"This isn't about insulting you because you do that on your own" Klaus exclaimed as she could see the genuine feelings begin to seep through as to what he was trying to tell her that caused he a bit of pause from wanting to bite his head off "You think a guy should just have sex with you….sex is for a twit. Sex is instant gratification, and I can't give instant gratification…not when I want more from you, from us" he told her

"More as in what?" Caroline asked

"If I have to tell you then clearly all you've ever had is sex" Klaus told her "I want to be close to you. I want to know you. I want you to know me. Caroline, I don't want just sex with you…I want to make love to you" he told her "If imagery leads to a good romp, than I'm sure I can do that in any drawing but I draw your beauty. I draw you because you fascinate me. I fancy myself to be an artist, but an artists greatest possession is his muse, and you're my muse. So don't ask me to cheapen my thoughts of you by having meaningless past time for instant gratification because I'm letting you know in this moment, if you should continue to feel whatever it is you feel for me, it'll have to be more than that" he told her as she stood in amazement

"I didn't even know you felt that way, well I knew, but I just didn't….I had no idea" Caroline told him

"Well now you do" Klaus sighed "I'm sorry if I was a jerk, but I just didn't think you'd pass it off as a checklist item" he said

"It probably came off that way and still might, but I guess…I was just taken aback by these feelings for you. I like you, but I never knew how attracted I could be to you" Caroline said

"And is that so wrong? To be attracted to me?" Klaus asked

"I don't sleep around if that's what you think" Caroline told him

"I don't think that" Klaus quickly replied as he wanted no doubt in her mind on that thought

"Sex has just been that gradual next step in my chain of feeling. I like a guy, we flirt, we date, then we have sex. You just happened to surpass that in leaps and bounds in a matter of days" Caroline said

"So you like me?" Klaus smiled as he took a seat on one of the small sofa that was off in the corner of the room while Caroline followed behind to join him.

"I like you" Caroline replied "I just don't know how much, and that scares me" she said

"Aw, so I do scare you" Klaus smiled as he reveled in the fact that he was right

"Not in that way. You scare me in the matters of the heart" Caroline told him

"They say some of the things that scares us the most, could possibly be the greatest rewards life has to offer" Klaus said as a smile came

"Now it's just the waiting game of determining which one you'll be" Caroline said as she looked at him

"If it's anything like I imagine you to be for me, then I must say that we could be great. I could surpass your wildest dreams" Klaus said as he leaned towards her to place his forehead up against hers.

"Or you could be worse" Caroline whispered

"I doubt that" Klaus replied as he tucked away a strand of hair from her face as a moment of silence came between them while they enjoyed being in that moment together. "I won't hurt you" he whispered to her as with just those words, Caroline knew that above all else she could trust them. Caroline knew that if he said it, then it would be true. Seeing the confirmation in her eyes, Klaus slowly leaned in to kiss her as they sweetly kissed each other as the intensity within them manage to take over.

Savagely kissing each other, Klaus relieved her of her shirt with one tug before tossing the garment onto the floor while she helped him with his shirt. Leaning in to kiss her as he laid her back on the sofa, Klaus let his hand roam over her body while hers began to tug at the button on his pants. Pulling down her shorts with his free hand to where she was down to her underwear, Caroline make quick work of relieving him of his pants as he was down to his briefs. Her palms slid over his bare chest, her fingers spread wide to take in as much skin as possible.

"This won't be sex" Klaus breathed after he broke away from her lips, Holding both sides of her face as he tried to control his breathing, Klaus looked on at her so that she could understand him clearly "This will be real. This will be more, if you can handle that, if not then tell me now?" he asked only to have her pull him in for another kiss for confirmation. Laying on top of her, Klaus deepened the kiss as he positioned them on the sofa so that they were both comfortable.

Taking his time, Klaus slowed down his savage like behavior as he wanted to treat her like a work of art. Nipping and intruding her lips with his tongue, Klaus lay above her as he propped himself up on his forearm. Every time she thought she'd have time to catch her breath, Klaus took her lips in his as he caressed the sides of her cheek. To her surprise, Caroline imagined that Klaus would be more rough while having sex, but she found that with him he took his time especially when it was clear that it wasn't anything like sex at this point. He made sure to treasure every moment he had with her. Not allowing any of her fantasies to dictate how their first time together would be, Caroline allowed herself to just feel.

His palms slid lightly over her bare skin, tracing the delicate lines of her bones and soft plush curves of her breasts. He made sure to kiss every ounce of skin that left a bit of wonder for him. His breath pressed against her chest as he cupped the soft weight in his hands, it all felt like the sweetest of sensations going through her body. Watching the dark rose tipped nipples peek between his fingers for a second before lowering his head to take the aroused bud into his mouth. Licking then nibbling on the sensitive bud, he finally closed his mouth around it and gently bit down causing her to softly cry out in felt the first shuddering spasm coil deep inside her. When he moved to the other, Caroline lost all coherent thought; her mind wandering in the abyss that was pure pleasure. A pleasure so perfect it bordered on pain. Pain of wanting him. Paining of needing him in this moment. With every pull of his lips her mind and body sought the path that led to mindless his forehead up against her, Klaus leaned in to give her a lingering kiss before he looked down at her. Making sure to look her in her eyes so she saw every bit of his intentions, he slowly drove upwards within her before he captured her lip to taste her sudden cry of pleasure with that very penetration inside of her. Pure…sharp…white hot rapture assailed their senses head held her hands as he pinned them hard above her head like a sacrificial lamb. He wondered if he could keep her permanently captive for his own pleasure. The enormous power of his body engulfed her, aroused, tantalized and lured her as his strength came from other aspects of him. She couldn't think of anywhere else she wanted to be at that moment then between the comforts of the sofa and Klaus's hard body. "Please…" She whispered against his lips, almost whimpering as he drew away to adjust her hips to absorb the solid rocking of his lower body. "Klaus…Klaus" She wanted to hear and taste the sound of his name on her tongue, as if just the sound was enough to bind their souls forever.

The sound of his name on her lips sent him into a zoned in haze that left him with one goal, to pleasure her every need. Forcing himself deeper, he held himself hard inside her, an unknown violence compelling him as if savage penetration somehow appeased the seemingly unquenchable desire he had for this woman. He'd never experienced this type of intensity in any aspect of his life; from art to even killing, he never wanted something like he wanted her.

Klaus captured her lips again, as his rhythm increased the momentum of his hips, pushing her into the depths of the bed to where he was sure they were breaking a few planks that held the mattress up. Feelin nothing but the peaking rapture that wrapped itself around every nerve of her body, she could do nothing but respond to his driving at Klaus's shoulder, Klaus raised her leg and wrapped them around his waist, while Caroline threw her head back against the door…eyes closed…mouth open…tongue braced against the corner of her upper lip. Her body held captive by desire, accepted his long hard strokes. The driving force increasing in tempo; she couldn't catch her breath; he couldn't think beyond the pursuit of climax, he tipped the scales of ecstasy burst over them like a hot, sticky storm cloud of satisfaction. Breathing fast and hard, Klaus gave into release; exploding into her demanding body. Surrendering to the pulsing insistence of Klaus's pounding arousal, Caroline gave in and peaked into convulsing held her still, his head against her forehead. She held him; her hands caressing his sweat licked back. After a few moments of Klaus covering them both with a blanket that was stashed off beside the sofa, the two had drifted off into a sweet slumber. Resting her head on his bare chest, Caroline's eyes flickered open for a moment as he slept so peacefully with his arm pulling her close to his body for some warmth. In that moment, Caroline began to realize what the true definition of sex and making love was definitely becoming more than she could imagine.


	13. Free Will

**Author's Note: Thank you all for being so patient. I just came back from vacation, so I didn't really have access to the internet while out of the country. Thank you all for the reviews and I hope you enjoy the chapter. I would say there is going to be at least ten to twelve chapters left. Things will pick up soon.**

* * *

**Monster**

**Chapter Thirteen- Free Will**

* * *

Moving slightly in her sleep, Caroline's eyes began to flutter open as she slowly took in the fact that she was not in her bedroom. Feeling his arm rest over her waist, Caroline was almost sure that they had actually had sex last night or what Klaus would like to call it, made love. Caroline knew that Klaus was very much a stickler for proper traditions, but she just figured he'd pass that up for the sake of actual physical contact with her, but the fact that he stayed true to who he was something she admired of him. She'd felt the difference in having sex and making love, with Klaus it felt like they were connected. It was like they're sole purpose was to be with each other in every intimate way possible. It was like every wall of vulnerability a woman could have during sex was shed by the fact that she'd have to feel other things besides the expected. In some odd way, Caroline was scared because this was such a new feeling for her that she hadn't even experienced with Tyler. For her, she felt like she was in this unknown territory that was beginning to explain itself to her. Feeling him begin to wake, Caroline shut off all her rampant thoughts as she wanted preserved that for herself when the time was right.

"Good morning" Klaus said still half asleep as he traced the outline of her arm with his hand

"Good morning" Caroline smiled before she turned to face him on the sofa

"I don't think these bloody devices were meant to sleep on" Klaus muttered as he closed his eyes once again

"Bloody devices as in sofa? Depends on the comfort level of the sofa, but that wasn't exactly the only thing we did on said bloody device" Caroline laughed as she found his choice words to be hilarious

"You're so british at times" Caroline laughed

"That's because I am" Klaus joined in her laughter as he pulled her towards his body while they shared in the laughter. Once the laughter slowly faded, Caroline began to play with the mess that was his hair as she found even the simple things about him to be intriguing.

"I'm beginning to understand what you mean in this more concept" Caroline said in a whisper that only Klaus could hear as they looked on at each other

"I know it's asking much…" Klaus began to say as the sunlight shined beautifully on their skin

"It's not" Caroline quickly replied as she traced the outline of his shoulders "So is there any aspect of you that is normal?" she then asked

"Normal. I think I've surpassed that a couple of centuries ago" Klaus replied as he looked on at her eyes study him

"No, I mean…you seem to transcend what a typical guy would be, and my typical guys have been average and then a wolf, but then there is you" Caroline said

"You can't compare me" Klaus replied "Hey, look at me" he said as he lifted her chin up towards him before he leaned in to kiss her lips so sweetly "I don't want to be like the others" he whispered to her as their foreheads pressed against each other. Caught up in the moment of it all, Caroline couldn't believe that Klaus had this big of an effect on her. It was like he was saying all the right things to make her swoon with genuine emotion behind it to back it up as true. It was no surprise that she was seeing a completely different side to him. Just as they stared into each other's eyes a bit longer, Caroline was soon torn away by the sound of her ringing cell phone.

"And once again, reality" Caroline groaned to herself as she slowly backed away from Klaus to see that it was indeed her cell phone going off. Wrapping the blanket around her upper body, Caroline reached over to grab her phone while Klaus got up from the sofa, completely showing off his naked form before retrieving his pants. "Hello" she answered as she looked on at Klaus with no intent of turning away

"How is crabby?" Damon asked in his usual preoccupied way

"What?" Caroline asked a bit off guard

"Klaus. How is he?" Damon asked "Are you handling him?" he asked

"Yes, he's been handled" Caroline said shaking her head free of all the things they did to each other the night before while Klaus couldn't help but let a slight laugh escape him "What is it Damon? I don't have time" she sighed

"I'm sure. Get yourself in a party mood because we're coming to the mansion, Klaus's to be specific" Damon told her

"As in now?" Caroline asked

"Yes, because all people like to party in ten in the morning. No, tonight. The Founders Ball was moved, and I suggested Klaus's" Damon said

"Why would you do that? He could still feed and I don't know, I don't think everyone in this town should know we're all walking vampires" Caroline told him

"Which is why a party such as the Founders Ball will be the perfect opportunity to show off the normal we all try to aim for. I'd like to think this discussion was up for debate, but it kind of isn't" Damon said before he ended the phone call. Shocked with what Damon had just told her, Klaus could read that something was disturbing Caroline

"What's wrong?" Klaus asked with concern

"The Founders Ball. It's going to be held here" Caroline said as she looked up to see the same bewildered look on Klaus's face.

* * *

Like they always had, Caroline and friends gathered in Elena's room as they struggled with what to wear for the big event. Since it was such late notice, the girls felt a pressure to make sure that they were all calm and collected, when really it felt as if they were just all scrambling for clues to the next. Caroline hadn't gotten much out of Damon, but she was sure that Damon was up to something because if there was anything she knew about Damon, it was that he always liked to be one step ahead of everyone. Lounging at the foot of Elena's bed, Caroline mustered up laughter and smiles but she just couldn't manage to shake her mind off of Klaus. Their night together had burned vividly in her mind as she just couldn't manage to erase all the emotions it had her going through that she wasn't even sure existed. Just as she got lost in more thought, Bonnie turned around to see Caroline lost in thought.

"Something wrong?" Bonnie asked with a bit of laughter as Caroline shook her reverie to look at her friend

"No, nothing" Caroline laughed "These dresses look amazing. I simply have the ultimate dilemma of choosing which one I'd like to wear tonight to the place I all ready live at" she said finding it awkward that she was dressing up to go back towards Klaus's when she had come from there

"How is that going?" Elena asked "I figured a little disturbance from him would do you good, granted I'm not for this party" she said

"Yeah, it was unexpected to say the least. I think that it might be all for not though. I mean Klaus isn't some evil mastermind when I'm around" Caroline said

"That's because he's manipulative. You have to stay ahead of him" Bonnie warned

"I get that, but Klaus just…he seems like he's trying to grasp this whole soul thing more than anything" Caroline said "Sometimes I feel like he could be as close to human as possible with how he's acting" she said

"Key word, acting" Bonnie told her

"I have to agree with Bonnie. I mean Klaus could be playing you to get to any possible way to break the spell" Elena told Caroline as Caroline couldn't help but feel like the odd person out in this tripod

"We should just change the subject all together from Klaus. It's becoming a bit much to always talk about him" Caroline sighed as she got up from the bed to grab the dress she so desired as she modeled it in the mirror.

"What's that?" Bonnie asked as she noticed the mark on Caroline's neck

"What's what?" Caroline asked a bit alarmed as she looked over at her friend

"That on your neck" Bonnie laughed as he brushed Caroline's hair back to show off the hickey she had on her neck. Alarmed with the sight, Caroline hoped upon hope that they wouldn't put two and two together

"Are you seeing someone?" Elena asked as she too began to notice the markings

"Not necessarily" Caroline quickly reasoned as she knew without having to see that it was from last night

"What does that even mean?" Bonnie questioned "Clearly the date with Danny was a no go for unknown reasons, but now you have marks on your neck….is it Tyler?" she asked

"No" Caroline replied as her friends looked at her with skeptical eyes "It's someone that I'm not sure about. I mean he's a bit unsure to me, but it's good" she reasoned

"Mysterious. I like all ready" Bonnie smiled

"Mysterious could also mean trouble" Elena said with concern

"But there's no trouble" Caroline quickly replied "He's…he goes to school with us, and I just started to notice him. I know this sounds horrible, but I kind of don't want to jinx whatever it is by talking about it excessively because it's really, really good" she told her friends

"Okay, fine. We will meet him soon, but seeing as things are crazy as of now, maybe mystery is what you need" Bonnie smiled

"To mystery" Caroline said as she weakly went along with the praise

"We just want you to be happy" Elena told Caroline as they all stood looking on at their reflections in the mirror "Klaus has taken too much from us all, and it's time we get some bit of normal in our lives" she smiled proudly

"Klaus deserves his loneliness, and you….you deserve to have more secret romps with Mr. Mysterious" Bonnie smiled

"You guys have it easy, with the whole built in boyfriends…and Damon" Caroline teased as Elena laughed to herself

* * *

Within a matter of hours, the party had gone in to full swing as guests made their way in and out of the house. A bit nerved at first, Klaus found that this many people piling into his house only made him more eager to go against Damon in some form. Priding himself on control, Klaus knew that he was slowly losing it within his own household. Since their earlier interaction from this morning, Klaus felt a bit anxious to see Caroline as any form of interaction with her was what he looked forward to the most. Noticing him standing at the top of the balcony, overlooking the guests from where he stood, Caroline took this moment to escape away from her friends. Taking a sip from his glass of champagne, Klaus let a slight smile slip from his lips as he knew that she was standing beside him. Playing like it was a casual accident to be standing next to each other, Caroline kept her eyes on those downstairs in fear of giving indication that things had changed between them.

"It's a party love, you should be dancing" Klaus said as he took another sip from his glass

"Yes, that is true, but I had a problem" Caroline replied as she maintained her fake smile before grabbing a glass of champagne

"And that would be?" Klaus asked making sure to not give her any of attention

"Seeing you" Caroline replied as Klaus felt more pressure than ever to want to look at her to be sure that what he was hearing was correct and not made up in his mind.

"You see me now" Klaus replied trying to tuck away the smiles

"I see you" Caroline nodded in agreement "How are you doing? With all of this and the craziness" she asked

"This is but a mere attempt on Damon to puff his chest. I'd be a bloke to let him get to me" Klaus sighed

"A bloke" Caroline laughed to herself at his usual british phrases "I like that your taking the high road in all of this" she then added

"Not by choice. The bloody soul prevents any bit of snack I could have to send the real message I want to give to our dear pal Damon" Klaus said

"So glad that your soul has become your bargaining chip" Caroline laughed before realizing she had to stop "We should stop" she said

"We very much should" Klaus replied "But then again, you're the one smiling love" he said as she did all she could to stop herself from looking at him

"I am. You should feel so lucky" Caroline told him as she spotted Elena and Bonnie looking for her

"This would be your exit" Klaus replied

"Will you be okay?" Caroline asked

"I will, it's but a mere party with trivial music" Klaus sighed as she felt a bit relieved to know that he was okay. Turning to leave, Caroline stopped to look over her shoulder back at him.

"I'll see you tonight, right?" Caroline asked as Klaus took a moment to control himself

"Yes" Klaus replied as he looked over at her for the first time of the night and like always she was stunning to him "You look beautiful….I just thought you should know that" he said as she began to blush at his comments while he knew that she took in his compliment as a fact that she was starting to believe. Walking towards the staircase, Klaus took a step forward to see that as she prepared to walk down the steps, he could see the smile that he was proud that he had put there.

* * *

Exchanging the deathly glances with Damon, Klaus had pretty much played the proper hostess for the evening. Lurking in his usual darkened corners, Klaus could see that Robert was enjoying the surrounding company as he had found him chatting up a particular woman from time to time. Seeing Robert be so human, Klaus couldn't help but feel like he was actually tearing him away from something rather than making him into something that he wanted. The pangs of guilt had never been so evident, but Klaus felt like now wasn't the time to let his newly built in emotions come to fruition. Hearing the sounds of laughter smothered with the cheeky smiles Damon shared with Elena, Klaus grew disgusted with all the friendliness that was going on, he had to step outside for some air. Sipping on his drink, Klaus sat it down on top of the banister as he leaned over to look out at the night sky.

"Gets lonesome in a castle" Tyler said as he emerged from where he stood on the balcony.

"All men die alone. Makes no difference on who comes or goes" Klaus replied

"You can stop with all the facts and intellectual speak" Tyler laughed as he sat his drink down "It's all a bunch of bull" he told him as Klaus turned to face him

"You should brush up on your spells because last I check, I could still put you in place…if you know what I mean" Klaus grinned in his usual devilish way

"You have no control. Whatever control you think you have, it's all in your head. The big bad Original is on his way to being taken down" Tyler laughed

"Did you scribble those words together? Because it made a complete thought, and that's just unlike you" Klaus replied as a silence came between them. Turning his attention towards the sudden appearance, Tyler smirked as he knew the exact button to push with Klaus.

"She looks beautiful" Tyler smiled as he turned his attention towards Caroline, who walked with Elena and Bonnie "Always had" he said as Klaus looked over to see exactly what Tyler was looking at. Noticing that he had got Klaus to look, Tyler smiled as he continued to look on at Caroline "She illuminates unlike anything I've ever seen" he continued to describe

"What's your point in all of this?" Klaus asked growing tired of his smugness

"She'll never look at you like that. You'll hope for it, but it'll never happen" Tyler said

"You must not fancy life because you're surely playing with yours" Klaus said through gritted teeth

"Oh, I fancy my life. I just would hate to have yours" Tyler said "The only reason why Caroline is here is because she has to be. The only reason we're not together is because of you…" he said before Klaus interrupted

"Sounds like a you problem mate, not mine" Klaus quickly replied

"And you're right. It never was you, it was always me" Tyler told him "But I know after coming to the final realization, she wouldn't be here by choice and that we'd be together if that choice was given to her" he told Klaus as Klaus just had to grit his teeth

"Doesn't say much about you mate, do you really think that less of her?" Klaus asked him

"No, it doesn't, but then again, I'm not the monster in this scenario. Free will is the key word because if she had it, you'd be alone as you always are. You and I both know that" Tyler told him with the smuggest of looks while all Klaus could do was let him gloat because behind it all, Tyler was right. Choice wasn't in this newfound relationship. "So enjoy the looks from a far because that'll all you'll ever have" he said before he bumped Klaus against his shoulder as he walked away.

* * *

Breaking away from the crowd once again, Caroline found herself wondering about Klaus's whereabouts. It had been a literal invasion of his house, so Caroline could only imagine that his only escape would be towards his art studio. Any free time that she had between Bonnie and Elena, Caroline would try her best to go out there but always found another distraction coming her way. Heading up the staircase to powder up, Caroline couldn't help but spot Damon in a room with Abby. Typically she wouldn't think much of it, but found that their conversation appeared to be intense, as if they were trying to come to an understanding on something. Creeping up slowly, Caroline walked towards the door. Hearing a bit of the conversation, Caroline could quickly tell that it pertained to Klaus, as to what she was unsure about. Just as she got closer towards the door, Damon opened it up as Damon and Abby prepared to leave.

"You lurking now?" Damon asked a bit caught off guard to see Caroline as Abby continued to try to leave the room "Hey, remember what we talked about" he told Abby as she left the room

"What is all of this Damon?" Caroline asked as she made sure that Abby wasn't nearby "I mean it, why was it so important to have the Founders Ball here?" she asked sternly

"Sounds like your upset" Damon smirked

"Because I feel like you're not telling me anything. I'm the one who's risking more, and yet I get minimal info…tell me where that's fair?" Caroline asked

"Some things you just don't need to know" Damon replied

"If it has to do with Klaus, then I deserve to know" Caroline said "Was it about the spell?" she then asked as a silence came between them "It was. Damon, what about the spell?" she asked

"Something that may give us a leg up in trying to off him" Damon quickly replied a bit agitated by all my questions

"Something like what?" Caroline asked a bit uneasy

"This is the part where you don't need to know" Damon said "Look I appreciate everything you've sacrificed but this is something you can't know. Klaus may be playing nice but he will always be a liability and we have to treat him as that. Continue with what you're doing, and soon enough you'll know" he said

"Does Elena and Bonnie know?" Caroline then asked

"No. Only I know, and I like to keep it that way" Damon said as a slow smirk came to his face "Keep up the good work. It'll all be over soon" he told her as he patted her on her shoulder before he walked off. Quickly turning to look back at Damon as he walked away, Caroline felt helpless as a newfound plan had been formed in order to stop Klaus without her having any knowledge of it as all she could do was stand off to the side.

* * *

Loosening up his tie as he headed back into the main house, Klaus could see the last of the guests head off down the road. Spared of Damon and friends gloating, Klaus was glad that was one stand off he didn't have to endure. His few words that he shared with Tyler had been enough to linger and make him run back to the shadows as any bit of control he thought he had had been taken away from him. Feeling the frustration of being a shadow of who he never wanted to be, Klaus felt the temptation of succumbing to his darkest thoughts but found some small inkling of himself staying strong to what his ultimate goal was. Closing the door behind has he entered the kitchen, Klaus quickly noticed Robert blushing as he hung up the phone with what sounded like a female. Going towards the fridge, Klaus reached inside to pull out a bag of blood as his need to hide his desire for blood had been pushed aside at least for the moment. Taking a seat at the counter, Robert turned his attention towards what seemed to be the defeated Original.

"You look upset" Robert commented as he joined Klaus

"Sod off" Klaus sighed "Shouldn't you be off chasing skirts or something" he said

"Chasing skirts isn't something I'd call it, that is chasing women, right?" Robert asked as Klaus laughed to himself "And there's a laugh instead of the usual brooding" he observed

"Yes, that's what it's called in Brit terms" Klaus replied

"No, I think tonight was just a one time thing. Not one for chasing skirts, haven't been in a while. Not since my wife" Robert said in a moment of vulnerability as Klaus couldn't help but notice that sheer unknown fact that Robert had mentioned

"You were married?" Klaus asked

"Yes, which is strange that I'm beginning to barely remember because I've always been alone it seems" Robert told him "It's been so long that I actually started to believe that I was supposed to be alone in this world…loving someone else like I loved her, that concept was foreign. Love is something you either have or don't have, it's your disease whether you want it or not. It can kill you or breath new life into you" he said as if he we were talking to Klaus like he was his own son

"And now?" Klaus asked as he looked over at Robert

"Love is a bit of the bug I'm becoming tempted by again. I wonder if maybe love could exist more than once in a lifetime" Robert said

"Well if I were to buy into this sapfest, I'd like to believe that love exists in different forms. We become addicted to one form because we think that's all there is, but I like to believe there's other forms of love out there….our job is to find the love that shapes us into the image we see ourselves as" Klaus told him as Robert smiled at his analogy "That's if I bought in" he quickly tried to reason

"You buy in. Everyone should buy in. A life without the disease of love would be nothing worth living" Robert declared as he got up from his seat just Caroline made her way into the kitchen looking more tired than ever

"What would be worth living?" Caroline asked as Klaus looked over at Robert in alarm, hoping that Robert wouldn't open up the topic as an all out debate for them to discuss.

"Nothing" Robert and Klaus both replied while Caroline just saw them as strange for how they replied

"I'll be heading off to bed. Do you need anything else for the night?" Robert asked

"That'll be all" Klaus smiled weakly as Robert nodded before he headed up towards his room.

"Tonight was crazy" Caroline sighed "It was like jumping in and out of conversations about what's happening in the town or soon to be happening. I almost forgot how event planning was a year round thing for this town" she babbled on as Klaus got a quick sip of blood before he pushed it to the side.

"Did you miss it? The whole event planning?" Klaus asked as all he could see the excitement on her face as she thought back

"Actually…I did. I missed it all. I missed being a part of the town, I mean it was the only way to survive" Caroline smiled as Klaus hung his head, feeling like the words Tyler had spoke were ringing true "Thanks for tonight" she stated

"For what? I didn't do it, it was forced upon me. I just dressed the part in this bloody suit" Klaus replied as he looked on at his suit

"You looked dashing in it" Caroline smiled "But I know this was something that was forced upon you, and I appreciate you making the most of it" she said

"I'd take your compliment if I didn't have the lingering thoughts of ripping Damon's head off and few unknowns that see art as crayola scribblings" Klaus huffed

"But you still managed, and I thank you for that" Caroline told him once again as she seemed to truly be proud of him for it while all he could do was think about how much she had enjoyed herself tonight. Getting up from his chair, Klaus walked over towards the door and opened it up in one quick motion.

"You're free to go" Klaus told her as she looked at him in confusion

"I don't get it" Caroline replied

"What we lack is something we never had to begin with. So I'm not going to fool myself into thinking that we have it because at the end of the day you're not here because you want to be" Klaus told her

"Okay, where is this coming from?" Caroline asked

"Caroline it's okay. I'm not mad or upset by any means because…the simple act of being with you or having the opportunity to be close to you…I treasure that, and I like to believe that it was under free will" Klaus said "So whatever keeps you tied to me, I'm releasing you of it. I will comply to the spell and be the model citizen…I just want you to have your life back because I think I've taken that from you" he told her

"And what if it's all been free will?" Caroline asked as Klaus just looked at her

"I doubt that" Klaus laughed "No one stays around me on their own free will. It's what I do, it's my form of never being alone…even if its not real. Somewhere along the line, I started to believe that I deserve to be alone…and I don't want that anymore. I don't deserve that and neither do you. So go be a part of your world" he told her as he nodded for her to exit. Slowly walking towards him, Caroline was unsure of how to take his declaration as he truly seemed to mean it. Almost tempted to walk out the door that he held open for her, Caroline stopped to face him as it became clear to her.

"This is my free will? You telling me to leave?" Caroline asked

"I didn't intend for it to come out that way, but this is me letting you go…letting you know that it's okay to leave" Klaus replied shyly as he didn't want to offend her in anyway "I'm giving you your out" he sighed

"Oh, that's what this is" Caroline nodded in sarcasm

"Don't do that. I'm all ready hating that I'm the bloke trying to do the right thing, this would usually be a compulsion moment" Klaus told her as he hated being teased

"I know, you've grown so much" Caroline quickly replied

"Then accept the gesture and move on" Klaus said through gritted teeth as his patience was wearing thin

"Okay, I accept" Caroline replied as she closed the door leaving him in confusion

"What…the…bloody hell. I'm trying to do right here. Do you not notice that?" Klaus asked as she walked back towards the living room area while he followed behind 'Hey, I'm trying to be this decent person you want me to be" he exclaimed as he continued to follow behind her as she tinkered with the stereo

"All of which I appreciate" Caroline said the music began to play in the back round "I appreciate this little suicide mission you're on but it's unnecessary" she told him as she grabbed his hands in hers

"Do you have to be difficult?" Klaus asked as their distance decreased as he realized that they were dancing

"Only when I want something" Caroline told him "You don't need to give me back free will because I've had that all along in some technicality. I'm here because I want to be here" she told him as she looked him dead in the eyes

"If there ever comes a time…you can. I'm fine with whatever happens" Klaus told her with all honesty "You're the one thing I want to be real, I need this to be real" he told her

"And it is" Caroline told him before she leaned in to kiss him. "Is there anything else you want to propose?" she asked as she broke the kiss as she traced the outline of his lips

"No, nothing else" Klaus laughed as she softly kissed him once more before he capture her lips with his.


	14. Celebrate Good Times

**Author's Note: Thank you all for the feedback. I hope you enjoy the chapter :)**

* * *

**Monster**

**Chapter Fourteen- Celebrate Good Times**

* * *

Shifting his body weight on his arm as he lay above her, he finished up his work that he was compiling on her lips. Like the sweetest of fruit, Klaus kissed and prodded and invaded her mouth as if his sole mission were to get to the center. Tearing his lips away from hers, Klaus rested his forehead against her as his thrusts became slow and deep. Caroline's hands gripped tightly on his waist as she wanted some bit control. Her moans remaining soft and pleasurable to his ear, the sounds of their love making filled the early morning. Lowering his head, Klaus rode the high he was on as he began to kiss her neck feverishly. Pounding, slow, deep, making each thrust serve it's purpose. Klaus was pleased to know that she liked what he was doing. Relieving her hands from his waist, Caroline ran her hands wildly through his hair as she forced his lips towards her. Lips smacking against each other as the positioning of their heads changed along with the intensity of their kisses. His speed picked up as each thrust began to ride the overall high, which brought them to a united climax.

Grinding in to him, Caroline could feel him growing stronger and harder into her with each thrust. Guiding her hips into his movement, Klaus groaned in sexual frustration as his desire for her only grew. Sitting up, Klaus wrapped his arms underneath hers as he brought her close to his naked body. Attacking her lips hungrily, Klaus deepened the kiss to where he felt like he was curing the desire for her. Continuing her grind, Carole broke away from his kiss as she rested her head on his shoulder while he guided her once more. Each moaning in sheer delight and ecstasy, Caroline felt as if this feeling would never die down between them. Speeding up, Caroline's whimpers let Klaus know that she was closer than he was. Meeting her thrust, Klaus took this time to lay her back as he too wanted to catch up with her. With his hand resting around the back of her neck, Klaus relieved his hand from underneath as she wrapped her legs tight around his waist. Driving hard and deep into her, Klaus grunted as he slowly felt himself getting to his climax. Again. Again. Again. Deeper. Stronger. Lingering sensations. Caroline bit down on Klaus's finger to stop herself from crying out in pleasure. Catching his breath as he reached his ending, Klaus pressed his forehead up against her as they both took time to catch their breaths. Tracing the outline of her face with the tip of his nose, Klaus teased her lips with his before he eventually kissed her softly and tenderly, making this kiss different from that of the others.

* * *

Feeling the sun peak through the curtains, Caroline's eyes slowly began to flutter open. Her hand rested on the spot beside her as she began to move her hand around to find that it was empty beside her. Hesitantly opening her eyes to see for her own confirmation, Caroline came to see that the spot beside her was indeed empty. Caught up in her slumber, Caroline tried to recount when he had left but found that their activities from early morning didn't make her the best source of judgment at this point. Clutching on tight to the wrestled up sheets that were on the bed, Caroline covered the top part of her body as she sat up in the bed. Scanning the oversized room nervously, Caroline was soon put at ease once she saw Klaus sitting off in the corner of the room with his sketch pad in hand. Looking up from his pad, Klaus stopped his drawing to let a smile slip at the sight of her being awaken.

"Good morning love" Klaus told her as he rested his head up against the wall

"Back at you" Caroline replied "So do you make it a habit of making a girl think you've left her?" she asked as she brought her knees up to her chest

"Death would be my only option, when it comes to leaving you" Klaus replied as his piercing stares made her weak "I've got my mojo back" he then laughed to himself

"In what manner?" Caroline smiled seductively "I mean you've definitely got something working very well for you" she laughed

"I meant drawing wise" Klaus laughed

"Oh, well that you're good at as well" Caroline smiled "What's the subject?" she asked

"You" Klaus answered without hesitation. Rising from his feet, Klaus grabbed his pad and walked over towards the bed to take a seat on his side of the bed. Noticing the sketched picture of her, Caroline became taken aback with how he mastered the art of drawing her .

"You sure you weren't Picasso in another life. I mean this…this is brilliant" Caroline smiled

"Picasso isn't someone I would emulate, but I find that it's easier to draw when there is fascination behind it" Klaus told her "Seeing you in the morning light…I have to say I was inspired, and had to draw you in your natural state. I can't help if your every state is beautiful" he told her

"You shouldn't say stuff like that" Caroline said in a whisper

"It's the truth" Klaus replied "You're the epitome of what beautiful is…at least to me" he said

"Have you ever loved? I mean really loved someone?" Caroline asked after a moment of thought to herself as she took it upon herself to delve deeper into Klaus's mindset

"…I've thought I've loved, but in the end it was never love" Klaus told her

"Then how do you know? You speak of it like you know it so well. You make it such a distinct character that I feel like you know it inside and out" Caroline said

"Is this some trick way of asking about my childhood?" Klaus asked with a bit of laughter

"I want to know you, and I think my love life has been on full display for you. It's more than reasonable" Caroline replied as she laid back in the bed while he joined her. Turning her body towards him so that she was laying on her side, Caroline traced the outline of his shoulder "I mean surely there had to be someone before me" she said

"There was" Klaus nodded in agreement

"Was she beautiful?" Caroline asked

"Do you fancy seeing me embarrassed? I mean do I really have to recount the excruciating details?" Klaus laughed in his boyish charm that only made him cuter in her eyes

"Tell me" Caroline pleaded

"Delilah. That was her name, Delilah Frampton" Klaus told her as Caroline looked at him skeptically to make sure that he wasn't just pulling names out of his hat.

"Figures it'd be a Delilah" Caroline replied

"Yes because I'm a soddin' old bloke" Klaus teased "She was my first love, my first everything" he told her

"Was this before as Niklaus?" Caroline asked

"Everything was while I was Niklaus. I liked to believe that I was a charmer as a boy, but I wasn't…I was boy with my head in books. Dreaming about every fantasy at hand, while Michael made sure to shoot down every last one of them. We went to the same school house and I just found that every description there was of these great loves, she fit them. She was kind. Good heart. She was the only person that would believe my dreams would be that of reality, she fancied my imagination as we spent time on end with our stories" Klaus said as she got lost in his reverie

"Did she feel the same way about you?" Caroline asked

"Never really knew for sure, but we had our moments" Klaus told her "Hand grazes. Stolen smiles amongst the crowds" he told her

"Innocent, but effective" Caroline smiled "Did you ever tell her?" she asked

"I wrote her a poem. Spent weeks constructing my feelings into words. I must've rewritten it like a thousand times, fearing that it might not convey what I wanted it to. Never gave her the poem" Klaus said as Caroline looked at him in disbelief

"Why not?" Caroline asked

"Because my transition had made any possible feeling of love in question" Klaus told her "I didn't trust myself, who would when you turn into the very creature you've been warned about. I became the black sheep of the family once my trait was activated…I became what I always felt, I was alone….love was the last thing I expected from anyone. At that point, I just wanted to be accepted" he told her

"And when Michael killed your father?" Caroline asked hesitantly

"I didn't even know my father was still alive" Klaus laughed to himself "My mother had lead me to believe he was dead, but once Michael had demanded his whereabouts, that's the only time I felt like I truly died. My brothers and sisters weren't blood related, they weren't cursed as I, the only person I could identify with…Michael killed. I'm not even sure it was for family or pride, but Michael not only killed my father, but my existence of who I could've been as Niklaus" he said

"How did Delilah react to your transition?" Caroline asked

"I was a monster to her. She didn't grasp the concept of time that now gave me a forever that I had spoke of in terms of Peter Pan, I was the very creature ravaging surrounding villages and her family saw to it that we could never be" Klaus said "I embraced my darkness and the rest was history" he then said trying to rush to put the bow on the story that was his life

"You could still be him, Niklaus, I mean you all ready are, but you can be him again" Caroline told him

"I can never be him. Niklaus was a person, someone that was an abomination in my mother's eyes" Klaus told him

"Believe it or not, you're not as evil as you think. I like to think I've seen glimpses of who you are, and you're far from that. I think your Niklaus in the ways that you don't even realize" Caroline told him as Klaus moved so that he was on top of her. Resting half of his body to the side of her, Klaus took her hand in his as he looked on at the delicate feature. "You can be whoever you want to be" she whispered to him as he continued to look on at her

"It's not that easy" Klaus replied as he kept his focus on her hands as he continued playing with them with his.

"I think I can draw you better than you can draw yourself" Caroline laughed as Klaus just looked at her skeptically

"Draw? Is this a challenge?" Klaus asked as the smile couldn't escape his lips

"No, it's not a challenge, clearly I'd lose that. I do believe I can draw you" Caroline said as she sat on top of him to straddle him as they shifted positions. Reaching over to grab his sketchpad as she opened up to a blank page

"Do you need pointers? It's a bit more complicated that stick figures" Klaus teased as he gripped on tight to her thighs. With the pad in her hand, Caroline began to draw her version of him.

"You're insanely smart, which is more than what I gave you credit for in the beginning. Clearly you'll need a bigger head" Caroline laughed as she drew

"I'd like to that as a compliment" Klaus replied

"Then you're stronger in the physical and literal sense. So we'll just chisel in the six pack, which is a definite bonus for you" Caroline said as she continued to draw

"Okay" Klaus said as he began to blush

"Then since you have a new found soul, you'd become caring and objective…" Caroline said

"I don't think that's one I can agree on. Having a soul doesn't make me a leader of world peace, just makes it hard to forget" Klaus told her

"Okay well, in this picture you do and it will show with this small heart in your chest. Then the lower half of your body…it's very athletic" Caroline said as she struggled to define the rest of his body without it turning into anything sexual

"Athletic?" Klaus laughed in a teasing manner

"Yes, which concludes my version of Niklaus also known as you" Caroline said as she revealed her picture of him. Studying the picture for a moment as he laid back, Klaus rested his hands behind his head as he just took this moment to take it all in. The way she drew him, it just all seemed like she truly saw him as a guy that could be not worthy of just her love but love in general. Noticing the look on his face, Caroline could tell that he was taking it in. "Now see, it's very possible" she told him. Leaning down towards him, Caroline captured her lips with his as she deepened the kiss.

* * *

Finishing up his shower, Klaus quickly hopped out and grabbed a towel as he began to towel dry his hair. Since leaving Carline last, Klaus saw that she was caught up in reading her magazines that seemed to be a heavy feature in her room. Getting dressed, Klaus expected to hear something from within the room but heard nothing that would make him think that she was doing anything else. Heading back into the room, Klaus stood surprised as she held his sketch pad in hand with a smile lurking on her face. Unsure of how he should take it, Klaus skeptically threw his towel down on the bed as he still watched Caroline for some bit of indication as to what was going on with her.

"Did I do something wrong love?" Klaus asked hesitantly

"Depends on how you want to see it" Caroline replied

"Okay, what exactly does that mean?" Klaus asked as he put his shirt on

"Your artist signature" Caroline replied as she tossed the sketchpad towards him to show what exactly what she was looking at

"So? What's the point?" Klaus asked

"Because on that signature you put your birthday. Today is your birthday!" Caroline exclaimed

"I still don't get the point, it's the day I was born" Klaus reasoned

"So it's your birthday. You were born on this day many, many centuries ago…that sounds so weird to say…but still" Caroline said "You should've told me" she said

"This isn't anything that I would celebrate. I don't celebrate for births, it makes no sense" Klaus told her

"I can't believe your saying this to me right now. How can you on good conscience say that it makes no sense to celebrate a birth day?" Caroline questioned

"Because it doesn't" Klaus replied just as a knock came to the door. Knowing that it was Robert, Klaus sat on the edge of the bed "Come in" he groaned as Robert obliged the wish

"Ms. Caroline, what a surprise to see you" Robert said trying to play surprise at the sight of Klaus and Caroline together in the same room in what looked like a definite overnight

"Drop the act" Klaus replied

"Did you know today was his birthday?" Caroline then asked

"Really?" Klaus quickly turned to look at Caroline

"Birthday. No, I never knew" Robert replied looking more shocked than ever as he looked over at Klaus in disbelief "Why would you hide something like that?" he asked

"Not you too" Klaus replied as he just fell back on to the bed while letting out a sigh

"I have an idea" Caroline quickly blurted out as an idea suddenly came to her

"No, no, no. No ideas or suggestions. Just let it go, let it be. I hate birthdays. I hate everything involved in it. So let it be for my sake" Klaus told them before he rose to his feet "So just let it go, and on that note…I will be going to the studio" he said as he reached over to grab his sketchpad before giving them both stern looks to let it go as he had asked.

"Letting it go" Robert nodded in agreement as Klaus walked past him before looking over at Caroline for her confirmation

"I'm not obliging, so you might as well keep walking" Caroline said as she folded her arms as some form of rebellion

"I'll see you" Klaus said hoping that Caroline would soften to his words as he walked towards her to kiss the side of her face while she still stood firm. Hearing the crack of a smile come from Robert, Klaus rolled his eyes as he could only imagine how Robert was giddy with. Heading out of the room, Caroline peaked around the corner to make sure that Klaus was out of sight before she closed the door behind them.

"Okay, let's forget everything he just said. We're throwing him a birthday party" Caroline quickly stated to Robert

* * *

After coming up with a plan to throw a surprise birthday party for Klaus, Caroline took to trying to find the perfect present for Klaus. Robert had pretty much secretly planned everything that would be necessary for their plan to work from the vendors to the food, and all Caroline had to do was go to confirm. Walking the streets of Mystic Falls, Caroline couldn't help but bask in the feel of being around all the small shops that she frequented on a regular basis for major retail therapy on those bad days. Turning her attention to one of the store windows, Caroline couldn't help but have a moment of gawking at a dress that she could surely envision herself in. Out the corner of the window, Caroline noticed the reflection of Damon as he came out from the bar across the street. Quickly tearing herself away from the window, Caroline checked for oncoming traffic before she ran across the street to catch up with him before he drove off.

"Damon" Caroline said as she ran up to the drivers side

"Blondie, what brings…shopping, of course" Damon began to ask before he realized where they were "What can I do you for? I'm a bit pressed for time" he said as he put his usual sunglasses on

"I need to talk to you about what the whole new plan you have going with Abby" Caroline said "I think I should know. No, I deserve to know" she said

"And why do you figure that?" Damon asked

"Because with this soul, Klaus could be a loose canon at any point. If this plan may trigger any aspect in him, for my safety I should know" Caroline said

"So this is for safety precautions? You sure it's not for other reasons?" Damon asked as Caroline grew uneasy

"Other reasons as what?" Caroline asked

"C'mon, I've noticed. I may be a little slow to realize it, but I noticed it" Damon told her

"What are you talking about?" Caroline asked

"The way you two have been looking at each other. I mean granted it's a dangerous game to play, and that'd put this whole arrangement in an interesting position seeing as I'd have to kill him…so why don't we cut the suspicion and be honest with each other" Damon said as Carole grew weary of how this could all turn out

"It's not what you think" Caroline tried to reason as she began to play with her hands

"Usually when people say that…it usually is" Damon said before he undid his seatbelt before getting out the car to look her dead in the eyes with a stern look on his face "You've got to be kidding me? This was not a part of the plan. The last thing I need to worry about is your romantic life getting in the way over the overall plan" he said

"The overall plan? I have no clue as to what that is. I'm supposed to blindly follow your instructions while you create new rules to the game" Caroline questioned

"Yeah well, you and Tyler rehashing your love affair won't do us any favor as we'll all be dead once this spell reaches it's end in the coming days" Damon snapped at her

"Wait what?" Caroline asked in confusion "Tyler?" she asked

"Yes, as in wolf boy. I've heard the talks and giggles with the usual group of friends you have, and it seems you two are on the mends of working things out" Damon said "Which is all fine and dandy, after everything is settled" he told her as she tried to access why Tyler and her were linked together now

"And that's why you didn't tell me about the plan?…the spell wears off in a few days?" Caroline then asked

"Yes, that you hear above everything…." Damon began to say

"Don't play with me Damon. What's going to happen when the spell wears off?" Caroline asked

"That's just it, we don't know. The spell restricts Klaus to the confines of the originals property, that's when he isn't in vamp form. There isn't much to be said about what he'll be with the soul in tact. For those who have seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we'd hope that he'd be all I'll fight the good fight and swear off those trying to harm the good people, but let's be honest, Buffy did it better. Klaus will be a loose canon because free will become his friend" Damon told her

"This soul is working, I've seen it. He's a different person with the soul, he's remorseful for the things he's done" Caroline quickly reasoned

"Which is why I didn't want to tell you" Damon replied

"Because I might actually be right. I might actually be right on Klaus, and we might actually be focusing on the wrong thing" Caroline suggested

"In this alternative world of gumdrops and daisies, do you believe what you're saying? Originals don't just turn the other cheek and forget, he will kill us, limb from limb. We have to kill him before he kills us" Damon said "Which is why a ticking time clock will be placed on him, figuratively speaking" he said

"What does that mean?" Caroline asked

"Exactly what I meant, Klaus is a ticking time bomb therefore, he will become one" Damon said "The voices will increase with all the victims he's killed, which most likely make him got bat crazy..." he began to say

"Do you take pleasure in this?" Caroline asked

"You want the details, here are the details. Klaus will die of guilt because regardless of how remorseful he is, he will go insane from the voices and the blood dripping from his soul from those he's killed until he'll want to die as well...it'll be a self induced suicide" Damon said in his blunt tone that made Caroline upset but she was unable to show it.

"Damon, think about this…." Caroline began to reason as the words suicide made her panic

"I have nothing to think about. Klaus is neutered and under control, but I don't trust him and neither should you. You did your job, and you should be proud of that. Hold on for a month or two and you'll have you're happy ending with Wolf boy" Damon said

"Two months, is that how long he has?" Caroline asked as she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes but knew that Damon couldn't see or else he'd know that she'd gotten in too deep

"If we're lucky. His humanity is something he's handled because he hasn't been forced to. Turning up the humanity to an all time high…it'll only make the transition to his whole I'm remorseful harder when it becomes hard to escape. The turning of the moon will be our indicator" Damon said

"So until the turning of the moon?" Caroline asked in conclusion

"Until then, so keep your little love affair out of earshot to Klaus because the last thing I need is for this to turn into a bad love triangle because then I'd have to kill all of you" Damon replied before he got back in his car.

* * *

All she could seem to think about on the way back to the house was what Damon had told her. Back and forth she thought of the good and bad of the situation, how two months would be sufficient enough to show that there could be another way to protect Elena or maybe protecting Elena wasn't even the issue. Still in the beginning stages of her newfound relationship with Klaus, Caroline couldn't be sure of her feelings with everything being so new to her. Though things were still new to her, Caroline didn't want to take the chance of losing something she just got the privilege of being introduced to. Pulling into the drive way, Caroline pushed aside the conversation she had with Damon, viewing it as unnecessary when tonight was supposed to be about Klaus. Sneaking into the house, Caroline was able to tuck away Klaus's gift in her room before she made her way downstairs. Before reaching the bottom step, Caroline quickly heard the shrieks coming from outside. Quickly rushing outside, Caroline looked on at the mayhem that Robert and her had assembled in the matter of hours. Dunking machines, Carnival rides, and juggling act all encompassed the grounds while Klaus stood in complete frustration.

"What is this!" Klaus said as he brought his hand up to his head

"I believe it's a Carnival" Robert replied as he walked over towards Klaus with his balloon animal in hand

"I specifically said I didn't want any thing in any semblance of a birthday party. Why is it so hard to get some respect around here?" Klaus asked

"Who says it has anything to do with a birthday party?" Caroline asked trying to conceal her laughter

"I think the sign that says 'Happy Birthday Klaus' is a big give away" Klaus quickly replied

"Okay well that could be a good giveaway" Caroline registered the idea "This looks amazing" she said in complete awe of the sight

"It's absurd and obnoxious. I might as well put a big sign up that says 'Kill Me Now'" Klaus argued

"How? How does throwing a birthday party register as that?" Caroline questioned

"Because it just does!" Klaus replied a bit annoyed. Seeing that he was truly annoyed by the extravagant setting that they had set up for him, Caroline grabbed Klaus's hand to lead him over to the side

"What is this really about?" Caroline asked

"I don't appreciate being lied to. I specifically asked for this not to happen, and yet this is happening. You continue to just do as you please" Klaus replied

"Because I wanted to do something nice for you. I thought this knock your whole notion of birthdays being dumb down" Caroline told him

"It's my opinion to have" Klaus said

"May I ask why? I mean what in your mind has made you come to that conclusion? have you ever had a birthday party?" Caroline asked

"Does that even matter?" Klaus quickly asked in response

"Yes, it does because your basing it off of something you clearly know nothing about. Less in case you magically got a birthday party in the span of the centuries you've lived, then you have no valid argument in this" Caroline told him

"I hate them" Klaus pouted

"Have you had one?" Caroline asked

"No" Klaus sighed

"Then trust me when I say that this is not meant to upset you or defy you, and if it does then….suck it up and deal" Caroline told him

"So I just have to accept that you have a madhouse in my backyard?" Klaus asked

"Basically" Caroline replied

"And I get no say?" Klaus asked

"It's cute that you think you do" Caroline laughed as she grabbed his hand while she caressed his face with her other hand "Now stop being a grump and just enjoy this" she smiled as she leaned in to give him a quick kiss on the lips before dragging him off to the festivities

"I'm not doing clowns" Klaus stated in protest.

* * *

Through much protest at first, Klaus finally settled in to the fact that he was actually enjoying himself. Klaus never once doubted that Caroline was defying him by going against his wishes, but the idea of trying anything new always made him weary. It began to feel like the more she pushed him, the more he saw that he was beginning to see what she liked in her world. Though they had found a connection that neither of them could explain, Klaus couldn't help but feel like holding on to that small portion of his soul would shield any possible hurt. Laughing and playing as if he were a kid in a candy land, Caroline was glad that she was able to give him this moment, a moment that was about him and no one else. As the night waned down and they had dragged Robert off to bed, Klaus and Caroline laid in front of the fireplace as a fire was lit for them to enjoy.

"So I have to give it to you, you seem to know the fun this small town has to offer" Klaus joked as Caroline basked in her moment of being right

"Small town?" Caroline said hitting him on the arm "Being in a small town has nothing to do with it" she laughed

"No, no it doesn't but how you manage to pull together a mini carnival is beyond me" Klaus smiled "It meant…it meant a lot" he told her as he couldn't help but blush

"Was this really your first birthday?" Caroline asked

"The last birthday I could recall was with Michael, and that…that wasn't something worth celebrating. My mother was one for feasts, so with my birthday she decided to make it a grand event since it was apparent I was the odd one out in the family. The whole village came with cakes and trinkets, which in your term would be presents. For those few moments, I actually felt like I was special. Like my birth, my existence was something to be happy about along with my siblings, like I wasn't the dreaded step son forced to adapt" Klaus told her

"What happened?" Caroline asked becoming intrigued with what she was hearing

"Michael happened" Klaus smiled in sadness "Went and got sloshed after a days worth of hunting. Pretty much berated me in front of the village people…called me everything under the sun that would amount to me being the mistake that made his marriage miserable" he said as he began to play with a loose thread on the pillow he held in his hands "From then on, birthdays were never anything worth celebrating to me. Bekkah, she enjoys a good bash, but I can do without for all the reasons Michael listed. My birthday was one day a year that I was constantly reminded that I was the mistake that shouldn't have happened" he told her

"I'm sorry" Caroline said as tears welled up in her eyes

"Don't be" Klaus replied as silence fell upon them

"My relationship with my dad wasn't all that great. I don't think I've seen such disgust, when the very thing he hunted, I became that. I know it doesn't measure up to anything you've dealt with or had to endure, but I get what it feels like, I get the feeling of questioning whether a parent love you or not" Caroline said as she reached out for his hand

"That I will never understand because even dead, you're still the prettiest thing I've ever seen in my lifetime" Klaus told her

"And that is one of the many reasons why I strongly disagree with Michael. Who else would compliment me the way you do?" Caroline said as she teased him towards the end of his statement "Your good for a girl's self esteem" she said as she rested her head on his shoulder

"Today was different. It was everything that I wanted that day to be" Klaus smiled as he looked down at her with a smile from cheek to cheek. Remembering a key component of his birthday, Caroline quickly tore away from his embrace before she walked over to cut a slice of cake that they never got around to and the gift that she had gotten him. "What is this?" he asked in confusion

"In this day and age, we lament the birthday with sweets that will ultimately kill any progress you have on a diet" Caroline said as she put the cake in between them before handing him the gift "But this is a present" she told as he looked at her skeptically

"Should I be scared?" Klaus asked as he slowly unwrapped it

"Just open" Caroline smiled as he looked on to see that it was a magazine

"A picture book?" Klaus asked in confusion "I hate to break this to you love, but I'm not one for picture books" he said

"It's not a picture book, well it is, but it's what is in the book that is your gift" Caroline said as he opened up the magazine to the folded page to see his real gift that she had gotten him "It's a artist magazine that is based in this small town about an hour out of Mystic Falls. They take unknown pieces to feature, and with my persuasion and promise of a date with the editors son, I got your piece in. I would've done one of the pictures you drew of me, but I kind of like my nudity to remain between you and I" she told him as she tried to read his face "Do you like?" she then asked

"Is this real? Do people know it's mine?" Klaus as he continued to stare at his work

"No. I used the initials 'N.M.' as your signature" Caroline said

"N.M?" Klaus questioned

"Niklaus Michaelson" Caroline told him "It may not be the real deal, but at least in the thing your most passionate about, you can be Niklaus because I like to believe it all began with him" she told

"Thank you" Klaus said as he tried to fight back his emotions before she pulled the candle out of her pocket to put in the cake. Lighting the candle, Caroline held up between them.

"Close you eyes and make a wish" Caroline told him as he did as he was told. Thinking to himself, Klaus couldn't focus on one singular thought that he wanted to wish for, but only one thought came to his mind that he truly wanted above everything else.

_**I wish to have forever with Caroline Forbes.**_

Blowing his candles out, Klaus hoped that his silent wish would come true as the myth claimed for it to do.

* * *

Standing in between him and the door, they both stood in the darkness of his room before he finally stretched his hand past her to close the door shut. With only the moon as their light, Klaus and Caroline looked at each other for what felt like hours upon hours as they began to realize they were both coming to the same conclusion of what they wanted. Going in for the kill, Klaus captured her lips with his as he wrapped her up in his arms.

Clothes were discarded quicker than ever as Caroline helped Klaus relieve himself of his shirt while they back over towards the bed. Falling back on to the bed with her landing on top of him, Klaus wrapped his arms around her as every part of him wanted to inhale her. Loving the feeling of being in his embrace, Caroline ran her hands wildly through his hair as she deepened the kiss. Straddling him on the bed, Klaus ran his hands up her thighs as she tugged at the back of her bra to unveil her bare chest.

"Happy Birthday" Caroline said as she pressed her forehead up against his before their lips eventually collapsed against each other once again.

* * *

After an enjoyable nights worth of love making with Klaus, Caroline couldn't help but feel like she had an extra pep in her step. Sitting in class, Caroline found herself day dreaming of all the naughty things she had yet to do with Klaus. The fact that she was even embracing these types of thoughts were becoming more and more surreal that things with Klaus were getting more serious. Seeing her classmates disperse, Caroline caught the hint that class was over, which was great for her since she couldn't wait to rush back to the mansion. Filing out behind her classmates, Caroline turned the corner of the hallway as she prepared to make her way towards her car. Just as she approached her car, Caroline found that Elena was meeting her at the destination that was the drivers side of the car.

"Hey" Caroline smiled

"Hey" Elena replied "Do you think we can talk?" she asked

"Now?" Caroline asked

"Now would be good" Elena told her

"I wish I could, but I have to go by my moms house to swap out clothes" Caroline lied hoping that it would get her a free pass to avoid any relationship problems Elena was dealing with

"I think we should really talk" Elena told her "Caroline, I know" she told her as Caroline looked at her with confusion on her face "I was alone, and I was bored. So I thought you would be to, so I thought I'd come by Klaus's to hang out last night…I saw the two of you together" she said as Caroline froze.


	15. Art of Living

Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews. I hope you enjoy the chapter and I look forward to your feedback:)

* * *

**Monster**

**Chapter Fifteen- Art of Living**

* * *

Sneaking out of Klaus's bed before he woke, Caroline found that it was impossible for her to sleep with the thought of Elena knowing the very thing that no one could know about. Dashing past Robert and what appeared to be him coming to her with his own problems, Caroline felt the pangs of guilt but knew that if she didn't fix this mess then she'd feel more than guilt if anyone else found out. Driving nearly hundred miles per hour on the road, Caroline kept herself mindful of the fact that her mother was the sheriff, so if she were to get pulled over than she was sure that she'd be covered. Pulling into Elena's driveway, Caroline hesitantly got out of the car to look around to see if Damon was around from one of his late night sleepovers, but found that Damon's car was nowhere to be found. Immediately walking up towards the door, Caroline banged on the door nervously as she felt every part of her was on edge before the door opened up with Elena on the other side in pajamas.

"What is with the banging so early in the morning?" Elena questioned still half asleep before Caroline barged in to make herself at home like she always had

"Good morning to you" Caroline replied as Elena closed the door behind her

"Are we supposed to be doing something today because let me be the first to say that I have forgotten?" Elena asked as she flopped down on the sofa

"No, we're not hanging out…or at least I don't think we were. We weren't" Caroline said get a bit sidetracked with Elena

"So then are we over so early because of what happened the other day?" Elena asked to let Caroline know that she was completely aware as to why Caroline would be rushing over so early in the morning

"What exactly do you remember of the other day? Let's hope for you being drunk and having a massive hangover…or let's get drunk and get a hangover" Caroline asked

"Caroline, I'm not drunk or suffering from a hangover. I remember what we talked about or what you ran from talking about" Elena siad

"I didn't run" Caroline pouted

"How do you manage to be whatever it is with Klaus?" Elena asked getting to the meat of the conversation that the two should've had the first time

"It's complicated" Caroline sighs as she flops down in the seat across from Elena

"Then uncomplicated it because as of now, you're crossing enemy territories" Elena said

"C'mon, that's something that Bonnie would say. Oh, God…does Bonnie know?" Caroline asked beginning to freak out all over again

"No, just me. Though I was tempted to tell her" Elena replied as she got up from her seat and walked into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee while Caroline followed behind

"Good" Caroline breathed a sigh of relief

"Why is that good? We're best friends. We're supposed to tell each other things, including the fact that you're involved with an Original" Elena said

"Don't say it like that. You make it sound all horrid and disgusting" Caroline replied

"If the words fit it's because they do" Elena told her "Are you sleeping with him? She then asked after a few moments of awkward silence came between them

"Do you want to know the answer to that?" Caroline asked as Elena just shook her head trying to block out the thought

"This is dangerous. Klaus is dangerous, he's just…" Elena began to say

"There's nothing that you will say that I haven't all ready ran through my mind at least a thousand times" Caroline replied

"Then why?…is this because of Tyler? Is this you're way of dealing?" Elena asked

"This has nothing to do with Tyler" Caroline replied

"It just seems strange that the very person that caused Tyler and you to break up is the very person you're now involved with. Maybe you want to carry out what Tyler thinks was happening to see if he was right in doing so" Elena told her

"That's ridiculous" Caroline replied

"If you can't explain it, then nine times out of ten it's because it doesn't mean anything" Elena said as Caroline just took a deep sigh and burry her face into her hands as she just wanted this all to be over so she could get some clarity on her life "I know you've been struggling beyond the break up and with just everything. We all have, but I just don't want you to get wrapped up in something that could potentially alienate people unexpectedly" she said

"I get that" Caroline replied

"Maybe we all need to start putting more effort into our friendships rather than pretend we are. I know I haven't been there for you, and I know that you're making a lot of sacrifices for me…I'm here for you" Elena told her as Caroline walked over to hug her friend "So how about it? We work on the group and try to put things back on track?" she asked

"That sounds good" Caroline agreed hesitantly as she just couldn't seem to go against what was something that she might actually enjoy

* * *

Sitting at the kitchen island, Klaus sat silently just eating his breakfast that he had to scrounge together on his own. A part of him wanted to go on a rant over the fact that he had to put together a whole meal on her own, but then Klaus found that he waned to work on his beast like behavior so he'd show Caroline that he was actually trying to be decent. Coming into the kitchen, Robert began to bang around pots and pans while Klaus did the best he could to pretend like he wasn't hearing the madness that was surrounding him. Taking a moment in between the ruckus, Robert would groan and vent to himself before he began to bang pots and pans around again.

"Do you bloody mind?" Klaus asked angrily

"Sorry. Sorry" Robert replied

"Is there a reason you've lost your soddin mind?" Klaus asked

"If I told you then you wouldn't understand" Robert told him

"Most likely, but I'd like an explanation as to why I can't even get a decent breakfast. I'm eating this jelly on toast bit, but this isn't hardly the meal I had in mind" Klaus told him

"Do you think I'm attractive?" Robert suddenly asked as Klaus nearly spit out the food he had in his mouth

"What type of question is that!" Klaus asked

"I know that you're all smitten with Ms. Caroline but just guy to guy, do you?" Robert asked

"I'm not answering that question" Klaus replied as Caroline walked in to join the guys.

"What aren't you answering?" Caroline asked as she grabbed a pop tart from the box only to notice that Klaus hadn't eaten one of his "Are you going to finish that?" she then asked as he looked at her before he slid his plate over towards Caroline so that she could eat "What were you guys talking about?" she then asked

"Robert is apparently into me" Klaus replied

"See, I told you that you were quite the looker when you put effort in to being nice" Caroline teased as Klaus just rolled his eyes at her teasing "Why do you have the hots for Klaus now?" she asked

"I don't have the hots for Klaus. Look, there is someone…a woman…" Robert began to say before Caroline caught on

"Aww, you have a crush" Caroline cooed as she looked on at Robert

"And this is precisely why I don't want to be here" Klaus replied

"Ignore him. Who is it?" Caroline asked

"That's all I can divulge. I have to go" Robert said after a few moments of thought before he finally booked it out of kitchen in a mad dash

"You could've been nicer" Caroline replied

"I was nice" Klaus sighed as he ran his hand through his hair before he turned to give Caroline his full attention "I was thinking that we could watch some classics on the tube. Maybe do the whole popcorn bit and the candy bit" he then suggested

"Like a movie night?" Caroline asked

"Yes, something very much like that" Klaus smiled

"That sounds great, but I actually have plans tonight" Caroline replied reluctantly as she didn't want to upset him

"Oh" Klaus replied as he turned back around in his seat "With your friends?" he asked

"Yeah, Elena and Bonnie feel like they haven't really seen me much lately, so I have to…." Caroline began to say as Klaus just nodded in understanding

"You want to make sure that they don't find out about us" Klaus concluded "I completely understand. It's a good plan. This you being cooped up in the house every night would've been suspicious" he added

"Right, so to keep this going, I should probably get back to reality" Caroline said as she leaned in closer towards him while he followed her lead "But you know the good thing about being separated ?" she asked

"I get some bit of control of my house back" Klaus told her as she covered his mouth with hers

"Absence makes the heart grow very fonder" Caroline whispered to him after breaking the kiss before she leaned in to kiss his neck while his hands traveled up her thighs as a moan escaped her. Enjoying the touch of his hand as he traveled to the warmth in between her legs, Caroline breathed a sigh of sexual frustration "I have to go" she whispered as she rubbed the side of his face with hers as she tried to her best to keep the focus on leaving.

"And I want you to" Klaus replied in a bit of a whisper as he slowly pulled her towards him to where she was standing in between his legs as began to kiss her neck, leading a trail towards her collarbone. "Just five minutes" he said as he picked her up to put her on the counter as their kisses grew intense. Tugging at the bottom of his shirt, Caroline did her best to relieve him of shirt before Klaus finally caught the hint. Ripping his lips away from hers, Klaus pulled her closer towards him as she grinded against him before he pulled her into another kiss. Running her hands wildly through his hair, Klaus lowered his hands to begin to pull her shirt over her head before the vibration of her cell phone caught her attention. Breaking the kiss, Caroline leaned back to pull the cell phone out of her back pocket as Klaus rested his head on her chest while groaning in frustration.

"It's Elena. I have to go" Caroline told him feeling bad that she had gotten him all worked up for nothing in return. Giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, Klaus moved aside so that she could hop down off the counter.

* * *

Laughing and drinking, Caroline danced with Elena and Bonnie in the middle of the dance floor. Though Caroline didn't want to enjoy her time away from the mansion, she couldn't help but enjoy herself as the night waned on. It wasn't a surprise to see Damon and Stefan saunter in to the bar as they never missed a chance to drink. Leaving the dance floor, the girls joined the boys for more shots as the drinks kept coming their way. Making conversation with old classmates and even new college friends that they had made, Caroline quickly began to realize that they were becoming the center of attention. Without even noticing, Caroline hadn't realized that Tyler had joined the group. For much of the evening, Caroline hadn't said much to him because there was no need to but as Elena and Bonnie were lead out to the dance floor by Damon and Stefan as their dance partners, Caroline found that now conversation was unavoidable.

"How've you been?" Tyler asked as he slid over next to her

"Good. You?" Caroline asked

"I've had better days" Tyler replied

"I think we've all had that as our catch phrase" Caroline teased as Tyler laughed

"That and 'goodbye' have all been used quite frequently" Tyler added

"I'd like to think that alcohol can cure those, not too much, but can cure enough" Caroline said "I thought you were enjoying your life as a college kid? I mean you adapted quicker than all of us" she stated

"I always adapt. It's part of my breed, but I guess everything is getting played out now, you know. Everything is just becoming a blur" Tyler told her

"Yeah, I get it. I mean that's how it was for me with the whole high school scene, then the now. You hope that it's you being tired, but it's not…it's you growing up" Caroline told him

"That makes sense" Tyler said "Do you miss it? Hanging out…with friends?" he asked

"I do. I think I grouped it all together as me getting tired of the parties, but I miss hanging out with the friends. I miss talking about the past stories of adolescent humor" Caroline told him "I miss it all and just dancing to rowdy music" she laughed

"That I can understand. I can also detect the hint of college terminology coming out" Tyler told her

"You noticed that, huh?" Caroline laughed "I wouldn't get too thrilled, I just happen to see certain words frequently that I just try to use them in my own speech. It's nothing, well it's something…I'm freakin' smart" she said as Tyler laughed along with her

"You haven't changed a bit. You still manage to make my days so much better" Tyler replied as the laughter subsided

"Oh, c'mon. I've changed…I had to. I mean me changing, you changing is what lead to our break up" Caroline said

"No, me being an ass is what lead to our break up" Tyler told her "You're still the same girl that does anything she can to protect her friends, who's confident in everything she does, looks hot as hell, and is loyal unlike anything I've ever seen. You haven't changed" he told her as the tension between them seemed to build to an uncomfortable silence came between them

"You should hide your poker face because you're too obvious" Caroline laughed

"Maybe I'm not trying to hide it anymore" Tyler told her "Maybe I've finally realized that you were the only good thing in my life and I want you back" he told her as she slowly backed away

"Thank you for that, but I think dancing is required in the moment. So I'm going to dance" Caroline laughed nervously as she walked over to join Bonnie and Stefan.

* * *

Sleeping peacefully in his bed, Klaus rolled over onto his side to rub the spot beside him as he had gotten in the habit of expecting her be beside him. Klaus's eyes fluttered open at the empty space beside him before a sudden rush of voices attacked his eardrums. Sitting up in the bed, Klaus covered his ears in an effort to stop them but found that they rang louder than ever. Tossing the covers to the side, Klaus rushed into the bathroom as he splashed water in his face. Breathing heavily as if he were having a panic attack, Klaus braced on to the side of the sink as he found that the voices seemed stronger than ever. Feeling like his eardrums were about to rip out. Klaus's veins began to bulge from his neck until finally…it stopped. Coming to the realization that it was all over, Klaus took a few moments to gather himself. Taking a few moments to make sure that he was okay, Klaus turned to head back towards his room. Getting into the bed, Klaus did his best to return back to sleep. Just as Klaus began to drift off to sleep, Klaus heard the sound of footsteps from outside the door. Getting out of the bed, Klaus went over to open up the door to find Caroline stumbling around trying to open her door.

"Caroline" Klaus said "What are you doing?" he asked

"I'm trying to open this soddin door" Caroline said as she continued to struggle with the door "I must've freakin locked it or something" she muttered to herself as Klaus looked on in confusion. Realizing that she was struggling way more than she should, Klaus reached across her body to open the door for her to her surprise. Taking in her scent like he always had, Klaus could tell that something was different about her.

"There you go" Klaus replied as he looked at her skeptically "Just how much fun did you have tonight?" he asked as he folded his arms

"I had drinks, then more drinks, and then more drinks" Caroline laughed as she moved closer towards Klaus

"I can smell it" Klaus replied as he did his best to withstand the stench she wreaked over "Why don't we put you to bed…." he began to say before she threw her arms around his neck in an effort to kiss him

"Your bed. I like your bed a lot" Caroline said excitedly as he said as he dodged her kisses

"No, not tonight. Tonight we just sleep…in our own beds" Klaus said as he lead her into the bedroom

"But I want it. I want it bad" Caroline replied drunkenly as she began to take off her shirt

"I'm sure you do" Klaus replied as she stepped out of her jeans while he went to grab her a gown "Here, you should put this on" he said as he walked over to hand her gown.

"Boo! You're no fun" Caroline replied

"Goodnight Caroline" Klaus sighed as he walked towards the door.

* * *

Struggling to put her make up on from the massive hang over that she had incurred from the night before. Finally realizing that she didn't have the strength to stand up in one place any longer, Caroline would have to settle to showing up to school with just her lip gloss on. Grabbing her bag on the way out of her room, Caroline gripped onto the rails of the stairway as she used them as her guide until she reached the bottom step. Feeling as if her equilibrium was about to slip out from under her, Caroline took a moment to catch her balance before eventually she walked on in to the kitchen to join Klaus and Robert. Noticing her look, Klaus could easily tell that she was hung over by her lack of make up and just by the fact that she wasn't as bubbly as she usually was when she entered.

"Good morning love" Klaus replied as he leaned over to kiss her on the cheek

"Don't kiss so hard. I think I might fall off my seat" Caroline replied as she took a moment to compose herself

"So no need to guess how you're night went. How many did you pound to get sloshed just right?" Klaus asked as he teased

"You can laugh all you want, but I actually had fun. I had a lot of fun, I may be paying for that fun but it was fun none the less" Caroline told him

"Which I'm happy for" Klaus smiled as he leaned in to kiss her neck before going back to eating his food

"Aww, see. That's what I want" Robert declared as he looked at the two of them with such envy

"Don't yell" Caroline groaned as she massaged her head

"I assume this is about the fancy you have on this unknown woman" Klaus said

"Yes, but not exactly. Look, I know that I have paid my dues in the mourning process, but do you think it's too soon. To put myself out there?" Robert asked

"It's not too soon. You deserve to be happy, your wife would want that" Caroline replied

"But it just seems weird that the person you thought you'd have your forever with is not that person and now you have to find another person to have that forever with. I mean words like that should guarantee that forever" Robert exclaimed

"I thought I would be with Tyler forever, but it didn't happen that way, but we're still friends" Caroline told him as Klaus turned to look at her

"You and Tyler are friends?" Klaus asked

"Yes, we hung out last night" Caroline replied

"I thought you were with Bonnie and Elena last night?" Klaus asked

"Yes, and then Tyler showed up….please don't ask anymore questions because my head is all ready on a trip to exploding" Caroline pleaded

"Sorry, I just…moving to another topic" Klaus replied after a moment of thought as he didn't want to spend the morning arguing with her "Tonight do you want to get a couple of sketches in, PG style. Maybe have dinner in the studio or so?" he asked

"I can't. Bonnie is taking me to this activist meeting" Caroline replied

"Since when did you become an activist?" Klaus asked in confusion

"I'm not. I just agreed to go before knowing where I was going, but she promised me dinner and that's the part I said yes to before learning the other part" Caroline babbled

"Who says yes to something without hearing it out?" Klaus asked

"Apparently me" Caroline said as Robert handed her toast before she got up from her seat to grab her stuff "Maybe tonight if I get in early" she said

"I really need to talk to you about something" Klaus said as he looked over to see Robert busying himself with baking "It's about my soul" he told her

"What about it?" Caroline asked with concern

"It's nothing bad. It's just last night before you came in…" Klaus began to tell her before her cell phone began to ring. Looking over at the phone, Caroline saw that it was Elena calling.

"Sorry, I have to go. I asked Elena for a ride" Caroline said

"I can take you" Klaus quickly replied without thinking about the circumstances that he was in "If I was able to leave" he sighed

"Thank you though. I thought I'd do the responsible thing and have her pick me up since I'm not quite sober yet to drive" Caroline said "You don't have to wait up tonight, I should be in late with hopes that the revolution will not be televised and my mother doesn't have to worry about me protesting any time soon" she muttered aloud to herself forgetting that she was being heard

"Have a good day" Klaus smiled weakly as all he could do was watch her leave to embrace the outside world.

* * *

There was times when the college atmosphere had scared Caroline off or maybe made her afraid of the fact the fact that she was growing up. It was all blur as the girl that she was and the girl that she was becoming were finally meeting at the crossroads. Typically, Caroline would've seen coming to an activist meeting with other students would've been the bore fest of the century, but Caroline found that the same thing that others cared about were the same things that she too cared about. Caroline listened on intently to the surprise of Bonnie, who was sure that she'd have to poke and prod Caroline to wake up, but Bonnie saw that Caroline was clearly taking this all in. After the meeting, Caroline had managed to lose track of time to where it just seemed natural to spend the hours of the night with her friends as Elena had tagged along afterwards. Going to the grill, the girls ordered their usual as they just sat and talked for a while. It wasn't until the next evening, where Caroline found herself walking through the double doors of the mansion to hear nothing but silence that was usually filled with debate or laughter of some sort. Hearing the door close from within the kitchen, Klaus made his way into the living room as he came upon Caroline coming in.

"Hey" Caroline smiled as he was hesitant on how he should be with her

"How was your night…and day?" Klaus asked as the smile on her face only got bigger from this point

"It was fun. I had a lot of fun" Caroline told him "We went to this activist meeting, and I actually picked up on some things that I never thought I'd actually care about" she told him

"Like what?" Klaus asked "If you don't mind me asking" he said

"Uh, well we were discussing that we didn't want to lose the books in the library. The school is trying to implement this new system, in which every thing is computer accessible, which is stupid because computers break down like nothing now. Then we were talking about pushing for a smaller class ratio by decreasing classroom sizes by twenty percent because the one on one with the student and teacher has seemed to be lost in the aspect of quantity. I mean I just learned so much that I'm surprised I actually grasped it" Caroline smiled excitedly

"I'm not" Klaus replied "Your brilliant in your own right. I mean I may be the live in grouch as you've labeled me, but the fact that you manage to get me to become health conscience is a tremendous achievement. Who would've thought that O positive blood would give me more energy" he said

"It's just something I picked up in my many days of being a vampire" Caroline replied "That sounds horrible" she said as she began to realize how funny that sounded which allowed the two of them to share a laugh. Walking closer towards her, Klaus tucked away a strand of hair.

"I like to believe that you can be anything you put your mind to. You're like a chameleon" Klaus told her as he got lost in her beauty

"A chameleon" Caroline laughed "Do explain that one?" she asked as he laughed

"You change to blend in as a means of survival, which in essence goes against what I stated, but the bigger picture is that you can be anything. You blending into your environment is only your stronger traits that makes up for your size, but your biggest aspect is that your mind allows you to be more than what you think you are" Klaus told her as he caressed the side of her cheek

"I was scared there for a moment, I was ready to be mad at you for calling me a creature that blends in to anything. But then again you have a way with words that lets you get away with a lot" Caroline said as her hands traveled down his side to hold on to his side

"I wouldn't dream of insulting you" Klaus replied as a peaceful silence came between them before Caroline's cell phone went off. Resting her head up against his chest, Caroline hated that this moment between Klaus had been interrupted, but she knew it was of her own making as she had asked Elena to call her when she was on her way to get her. "That's your phone" he laughed softly

"I know, and I'm sorry…" Caroline said as she pulled back to look at him

"It's okay. I've actually managed to get a lot done. I've been thinking about submitting more work to that magazine since it seemed to be such a hit. So you being out of the house actually makes me focus" Klaus told her as she just laughed

"So I'm to blame now, I stop you from working?" Caroline asked as she pulled at his shirt

"Basically because when you're around…there's only one thing I only want to do, and I simply cant focus on my work if I'm thinking of that" Klaus reasoned as Caroline nodded in acceptance

"What's the one thing you want to do when I'm around?" Caroline asked knowing that it was going to lead to some sort of sexual innuendo. Leaning in towards her, Klaus kissed her so passionately and sweetly all wrapped in one as if kissing her had to be done to perfection like a work of art. Holding both sides of her face, Caroline rested both of her hands on top of both of his as she let herself melt into his lips. Deepening the kiss, Klaus slowly broke away from her lips to see that she still had her eyes closed.

"That, that's all I want to do" Klaus told her

"That's good…I meant that…" Caroline said as she slowly opened her eyes to realize she was fumbling for words

"I know what you meant" Klaus smiled as he could clearly see that she had melted in to him as he did her, but the only difference was that he was able to put himself back together quick enough in her presence to where he wasn't some klutz.

"The other day, you were telling me about something…your soul. What did you want to tell me?" Caroline asked

"Nothing. I just wanted to tell you that I'm beginning to feel better. Like a human even, if I can recall from that long ago" Klaus told her

"You sure?" Caroline asked as she looked at him skeptically

"Yes" Klaus replied

"And at this point, I'm just going to take a shower and get ready to go" Caroline laughed "I should go" she nodded as she didn't want to embarrass herself anymore than what she was doing in this moment. Wearing a smile on her face, Klaus just laughed as it was apparent that she had gotten weak in the knees. Turning to head towards the staircase, Caroline couldn't manage to wipe the smile from her face.

"I meant what I said Caroline" Klaus said as she turned to look at him "When you want, you can leave" he told her as he felt a piece of himself die inside as the words felt like poison escaping him

"I know" Caroline nodded after a few moments of acceptance. In this moment, she began to understand that it wasn't about anything but him letting her know that he was fine with her not being around as much. Continuing her climb up the stairs, Klaus felt a tremble in his hand as the process of letting go was going to be one that would take every ounce of him. Hearing a flood of voices ring loudly in his ears, Klaus felt his knees buckle as he did his best to suffer through. Through gritted teeth and hushed curse words, Klaus realized that after a few moments the voices had passed. Gasping for air, Klaus waited a moment as his breathing seemed to pick up without him knowing. Forcing himself to control the erratic rate of his heart, Klaus was glad to make it down the list of things he had to suffer through in a span of day.

"You can stop lingering" Klaus said as he detected Robert's presence

"I just wanted to make sure that it was real, what I saw, I wanted to make sure that my eyes didn't betray me" Robert said as he emerged

"It's all real, whether you want it to be or not. It's the painful truth about life" Klaus said as he walked pass Robert.

"I'll do whatever, but she should know…" Robert began to say

"No, she will not know!" Klaus scolded him in a burst of anger "This was inevitable. This was is the curse I've had to live with….she's beginning to live. She will not know, and you will not tell her as so help me God, I will kill you. I assure you old man that will not be an idle threat" he told Robert as he clenched his fists "….I'm living out my destiny. I'm dying" he told him as Robert shook his head his head. Taking in the sight of seeing actual concern from someone in regards to him, Klaus wasn't sure if he'd ever see that from a human in regards to him since it was so long since he had seen it as a Monster. "Here's a tip for your pursuit in love with the mystery woman….you lie, because in the end it's not your happiness you concern yourself with, it's hers. Learn the art of lying for good, but you use it sparingly for evil" he told him before he eventually couldn't take Robert's emotions.


	16. Loves Battlefield

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, I was working on another story. I hope this chapter will make up for it. This story will most likely have 20 chapters so after this it will be the final 3. So I hope to hear your feedback and I'll try to upload the chapters by this weekend.**

* * *

**Monster**

**Chapter Sixteen- Loves Battlefield**

* * *

Letting a sigh of relaxation, Caroline rolls over onto her side to cuddle up next to his body only to find the spot beside her was empty. Caroline's eyes slowly fluttered open to get the confirmation that she needed to see that she was in fact alone in bed. Looking over at the clock, Caroline's surprised to see that it's only three in the morning and that he's managed to escape. Hearing a bit of groans come from within the restroom, Caroline sits up in the bed to make sure that her ears haven't failed her. Listening in closely to the sounds, Caroline soon hears them come down to silence. Hearing the sounds of the knob begin to turn, Klaus suddenly emerges, surprised to see that she's awake. For a moment, Klaus and Caroline look on at each other nervously as they are both unaware of what to do in this moment. Walking to get back on his side of the bed, Klaus gets in, acting as if everything is normal.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asks still half asleep

"Go back to sleep love, I just had a bit of the spooks" Klaus replies as he pulls the covers up on his body

"Spooks? What type of spooks?" Caroline asks with a bit of concern

"The kind that makes me question why one like you can sound like a freight train roaring in the middle of the night" Klaus teases

"Did you just say I snore?" Caroline asked

"I believe I did" Klaus smiles before Caroline slowly inches her way over towards him to where she traces the outline of his lips with hers. Seductively enticing every fiber in him, Klaus brings his hands up to brace her shoulders as their lips slowly come to meet. Their breaths become hot with desire as Caroline awakens his passion for her like only she can.

"I don't snore" Caroline whispers as she tilts her head to welcome another slow and enticing kiss

"You do love" Klaus replies before he quickly rolls on top of her.

Tossing the pillows to the side, Klaus makes sure that he's well in between her legs. Savagely kissing her, Klaus uses his hands to hike up the nighty that she wears to bed as he's sure that all on it's own is meant to entice him. Wearing but thin bottoms, Klaus doesn't worry about tugging at any briefs because he doesn't wear any this night of nights. Plunging inside of her, Caroline gasps with the feeling of him being inside of her.

Nipping at her lips as he methodically calculates his points of pleasuring her, Klaus moves slow to where they both enjoy the feeling growing between them. Trailing kisses down to her collar bone, Caroline runs her hand wildly through his hair while moans escape her from the job that he does on her. Grunts escape him as his mission becomes to kiss every ounce of her.

Her moans ring loudly in her ear as their pleasures become equally shared. Pinning her hands back as he devours her lips, teasing her with his tongue with every chance that he gets. Just as her moans come into his ears, Klaus can't help but welcome in the other voices that forcefully make their entrance. Klaus does his best to focus on her as they've almost reached their peak, but Klaus finds that the voices ring louder than ever. He fights. He struggles, but finds that he's no match for the voices. Quickly rolling off of her, Klaus pants and eventually pulls his bottoms up before getting out of the bed. Sitting up, Caroline becomes confused of his actions.

"Is there something wrong?" Caroline asks

"No" Klaus groans as he messes with his hair while he paces the floor as if he's losing his mind "I'll be in my studio. I think it's best if you leave me be" he says as he puts his shirt

"Uh, okay" Caroline replied awkwardly as all she can do is watch him prepare to leave before he finally does

* * *

Letting out a yawn from her restless night, Caroline walked up the staircase towards before entering into Elena's room. Sitting in her bed, diligently doing her homework for class, Caroline flopped down beside Elena as she couldn't seem to hide her tiredness. Trying to focus on her studies, Elena looks over at Caroline for a moment as she decides whether or not to inquire about what was going on with. Adjusting the pillow behind her, Caroline flops back down in the bed as Elena gives up hope that she will be able to study. Putting her book to the side, Elena puts her focus on Caroline as it is just them in the room and should stay that way for a while.

"What's going on with you?" Elena asks

"I'm tired" Caroline replied

"From what? We haven't had too many late nights" Elena said

"I didn't get any sleep last night" Caroline replied

"Do I want to know why?" Elena asks a bit unsure if she wants to hear the answer

"Do you want to hear the answer?" Caroline asks as she turns to look at Elena

"Really Caroline?" Elena exclaims "I thought that Tyler and you were getting close again?" she asked

"We're talking, but I'm still with Klaus" Caroline replied

"With him in that sense or in every sense?" Elena asks

"In every sense. Look, I've enjoyed talking with Tyler and I can honestly see where we've made leaps and bounds. I still like Klaus" Caroline said

"Even though you love Tyler" Elena states

"Anyways, Klaus and I were, you know, then he just stopped. He stops to go outside to his studio. I spent most of the night trying to see what exactly he was up to, but by the time I wanted to go to sleep it was time for class" Caroline said

"So he left while?…." Elena began to say

"Moments before the big finale" Caroline muttered "That was by far the strangest sexual experience I've ever had" she stated

"And he stayed out in the studio?" Elena asked

"All night long, and all morning long" Caroline said

"Maybe the spell wore off. Maybe he's plotting…Caroline, I don't like the sound of this" Elena suggested

"That's because it's insane. Damon has pretty much cursed him forever with the voices, which I find to be a bit weak, but Klaus has managed with the voices" Caroline stated

"Which pretty much doesn't assure me. Caroline, you have to realize that at some point, Klaus will want his freedom. Klaus will not want to stay locked away in his mansion forever. I know that you may like him, and he may be different with you…but Klaus's motives still remain the same if he should find a way to beat the curse" Elena told her friend

"So what? I'm just supposed to start acting like he's some serial killer again?" Caroline questions

"You need to be aware of the fact that sooner or later you have to pick a side in this" Elena said "Klaus may be this pleasant surprise, but once the rest of the Originals come back to fight for their brother, he'll choose his family" she told her

"You're beginning to sound more and more like Damon by the day" Caroline pouts as she folds her arm.

* * *

Sitting in front of his canvas, Klaus tentatively added the color to the outline of his picture. Wanting to draw something with meaning, Klaus spent most of the night trying to debate what would mean something to him, what would inspire him beyond the usual paintings and drawings of Caroline. Knowing that one day death may come, even for a vampire such as himself, Klaus felt the urge to create something that meant something beyond the normal meanings. Needing anything to distract from the disaster that was his night with Caroline, Klaus felt like an utter mess that he wasn't able to control the voices even during sex with Caroline. Hearing the door open, Klaus turned to see Robert enter as he sported a pale face that left Klaus a bit concerned. Following behind Robert was a man carrying what looked to be a medical bag that Klaus quickly detected. Anger quickly conveyed in his eyes, Robert mustered up the courage that he had to face Klaus.

"Do so kindly to ask your guest to leave" Klaus said with a stern voice as he walked up towards

"No, I'm afraid I can't" Robert mutters as Klaus approaches him

"I want him gone!" Klaus yelled

"Sir, may I call you sir?" Robert asked

"You may get you and your friend out of here!" Klaus continued to yell

"I will not Sir. I will not ask him to leave because he's a good friend of mine. He's a friend that has agreed to do this favor…" Robert began to say

"I don't care what he is because the both of you are about to meet death sooner than you thought, so you can leave me alone and write your last words because I warned you and you deliberately disobeyed my rules!" Klaus growled in anger

"Stop! Stop with the threats because we both know that you won't kill me" Robert told him as he found the strength to go up against Klaus

"Oh, I will kill you" Klaus quickly replied

"And I think you like the thought that you could, you know as a means to keep me in line. Typically I would respect your wishes, but I can't in this case. I can't just stand back and watch as you become weak. I've seen that happen before and I refuse to watch it again, it's a movie that needs to stop and never be played again. So you will let this doctor look you over, and we'll go from there" Robert told him as Klaus just stared at him skeptically "Who knows, you may even get your cure" he said with a little bit of hope

"I don't know what makes you weaker, the fact that I could easily kill you or the fact that you think there's some magical cure for everything" Klaus told him

"Do I just stand here?" Robert's friend asked before Robert turned to look at him

"Give it a chance" Robert said trying to talk Klaus into it

"My stance remains the same" Klaus said after a few moments of thought. Turning to look at Robert's friend "I'm sorry that you came all this way, but I would kindly ask this time around for you to leave" he told him as his sincerity began to come through

"I really can help you" Robert's friend told him

"No, I don't think you can, but thank you for saying it" Klaus told him as a bit of smile came to his face.

"Hey I know you said to…." Caroline began to say before she walked in to see that Klaus had company "Am I interrupting something?" she asked

"No, no. Robert was just showing him out" Klaus said breaking the silence as Robert and Klaus shared a tense stare that caused Caroline to wonder what exactly was going on before Robert showed his friend out. Feeling a bit of the voices return, Klaus brought his hands up to his head as he tried his best to block them out but once again they were controlling him. Not wanting Caroline to see him like this, Klaus gritted his teeth and bore the brunt of the voices that swirled around in his head.

"What was that about?" Caroline asked

"Nothing" Klaus replied as he ran his hand through his hair "I have to go" he said after a few moments had passed between them before he eventually stormed out of his own studio leaving Caroline behind.

"You can't keep leaving" Caroline says as she follows behind

"I need to" Klaus replies as he continues on his path

"Then tell me what the hell that was back there?" Caroline asked as she tried to run to get in front of him

"There's some things that you can't know about. I need my secrets, and you need to respect that" Klaus told her angrily

"Secrets? So that's what we have now?" Caroline asked

"You have yours and I'll have mine" Klaus told her before she grabbed on to his arm

* * *

Caroline couldn't help but feel like her conversation with Klaus had only left her more suspicious. Thoughts of what Elena had told her had managed to creep in to her head that she began to watch him more than she had usually. Klaus had become scarce in the main house, and if he did come in then it was to drink his usual cup of blood that Robert had out for him. Robert seemed to be a basket case of nerves, in which he became more health conscience with what he was cooking. Caroline hadn't seen so many vegetables in the food that he was making than what she saw on the plate before her. Of all things the things Robert hated, it was that he had to lie to Caroline as to why Klaus was acting so strange around her. Robert could tell that she was being suspicious, but he could only hope that a bit of faith would reside in her that she'd be able to understand that in due time he'd tell her.

"Do you care to eat anything?" Robert asked as she noticed Caroline looking out the window towards the studio

"Do you have anything other than vegetables?" Caroline asked

"No. I find that vegetables are good source of protein and can help sustain the body" Robert told her

"Is mystery woman someone that likes vegetables because that's the only reasoning I can think of the sudden emergence of them" Caroline concluded as she turned to look at Robert

"I simply have come to realize that our eating habits around here are a bit barbaric" Robert replied

"If anyone is barbaric, it's Klaus. I need something other than food that Bugs Bunny eats on a daily basis" Caroline pouted as Robert shared a sympathetic smile with her "Have you noticed any thing strange about Klaus?" she then asked

"Nothing out of the norm" Robert said trying to avoid eye contact with her

"Robert, Klaus hasn't been in at all this whole day. He hasn't even tried to kiss me more than the usual number of times that he does through out the day" Caroline said

"I didn't know women think like that or count that" Robert replied

"That's how we know" Caroline replied

"How many times?" Robert asked "You know, that he kisses you?" he asked

"Two hundred" Caroline quickly replied as Robert seemed confused by that number

"How is that?…" Robert began to ask

"That's counting the times we do other things with the added kissing, but that's besides the point. Something is wrong with him, and I think you know but you've been repelled not to tell me" Caroline said

"I know nothing than what he tells me" Robert replied as he once again avoided eye contact

"That's a lie. You know more" Caroline replied "Robert, it's important that you tell me what's going on with him because if you don't….people can get hurt. Klaus is good, but if we don't help him he can be other things" she reasoned with him

"Other things that has forced him to stay locked away in his home?" Robert asked

"Yes, but this time it could be worse" Caroline said as a silence came between them

"Do you care about him?" Robert asked as he looked at Caroline

"Yes, which is why I need to know what's going on with him. I can't help him by being left in the dark. I just think that if I knew what was going on then there won't be any surprises that might lead to him getting killed sooner than planned" Caroline said

"Who would kill Mr. Klaus?" Robert asked immediately

"It's not who, but what. It's confusing to explain" Caroline said "I'm trying to buy time, and explain that he's not as harmful as he once was. I'm starting to think that I might have to carry on another route of convincing them" she said to herself unaware that Robert could hear everything she was saying to herself

"Look, I know things but I can't tell you about those things" Robert said as Caroline nearly pounced on his words

"What do you know?" Caroline asked

"Nothing that I can tell" Robert replied as Caroline groaned "The only thing I can tell you is that it's not what you think. Mr. Klaus is struggling, but he's not that supposed man that he used to be. He's just…he's trying to be strong" he said

"Okay, then why not tell me? I can help him be strong or at least be his ticket to stay alive" Caroline said

"I guess with much time to think about it, I can see why he wouldn't want to tell you, and I don't mean that as a bad thing" Robert said "When a man loves a woman, he wants her to see him as strong not weak. He wants her to have no fears that he can accomplish the uncontrollable…" he begins to say

"This is out of his control, I know that for a fact" Caroline tells him

"He loves you, and he will be a better man because of you, so know that if any temptation will come in his path than he will do all he can do surpass it" Robert said

"Will you give me some bit of a clue?" Caroline asked

"You should look at everything around you. It'll all show the same things, but just look carefully" Robert told her

"I do that. I notice now that something is up with him" Caroline replied

"Look closer" Robert replied before he began to wipe the counter tops

"I'm on his side, as hard as it is to be neutral, I'm trying to be on his side. So I need you to at least assure me that he's not planning to hurt anyone?" Caroline asked as she walked towards Robert

"Ms. Caroline sometimes people warn us about people to protect us from danger. Then there are people that warn us about people but have no clear understanding of what good that person could be to this world. Somewhere along the line, you have to choose what that person is to you and only you because the world will never understand change…it's conditioned not to" Robert smiled weakly at her before he once again went back to cleaning.

* * *

Making her way into the study with a stack of magazines in hand, Caroline hoped that she'd be able to pass the time. Ignoring any calls from Elena, Caroline just wanted one night when she didn't have to worry about the fate of anything. Once Tyler starting calling her, Caroline was more sure than anything that she should make this a stay in the night. Flipping through the meaningless pages of her magazine, Caroline looked over at the clock to see that it was eight at night. Looking out the window, Caroline got her confirmation as she that she needed from the darkness outside. Glancing over towards the studio, Caroline saw that the light still was on as he was still stowed away inside. A part of her wanted to storm inside of the studio to force him into telling her something or anything as to why he was acting so strange. Robert had pretty much given it away that something was up with him, but being on the outside when she was trying to claw her way on the inside of his mind, Caroline wasn't sure she wanted to know. Knowing what was going on with him would only lead to her having to decide on what side she should be true to. With not knowing, all she could do was hope that nothing bad would happen to anyone that she cared about. All she could do is hope nothing bad would happen, but even that wasn't getting her too far. Just as she leaned back in her chair, Caroline was surprised to pick up Klaus scent.

"Spying on me?" Klaus asked as he broke the silence between them

"Should I be?" Caroline asked as she continued on with flipping through her magazine. Noticing that she was truly upset with him, Klaus sighed as he hated that he'd honestly felt a twinge of guilt at her being mad with him. Taking a seat on the chair across from Caroline, Klaus hoped that she would oblige him but found little response. Rubbing her leg, Klaus realized that this wasn't going to be one those situations where he'd butter her up. "Could you please remove your hand? I'd prefer to read in peace if you don't mind" she asked

"So you're really going to not talk to me?" Klaus asked as she continued to ignore him

"I'm having a secret meeting with my magazine. You'd understand that, right? You know with us having our secrets and all" Caroline replied with her bit of sarcasm in full display

"I didn't mean that" Klaus told her "I was just…I was just frustrated" he tried to explain

"And when you're frustrated you say ass like comments that end like this, me being upset and wondering why the hell I put up with you" Caroline told him before he true frustrations began to show "I mean you make it damn near impossible to defend you when you're doing shady stuff. What was with the random guy today? Are you compelling him? Are you planning something? What are you up to?" she questioned

"If I were up to something, I don't really think I'd be able to tell you" Klaus said

"Which leads us to here. I mean if this is how it's going to be, then I have to tap out. I'm going insane with people wanting things from me. I mean I'm trying to date you secretly while pretending that I can't stand you with my friends, who are trying to throw my old boyfriend in my face" Caroline rambled "And the more I think about this….things were simpler when I did despise you" she said as a laugh escaped Klaus "How is that funny?" she asked

"Because clearly you want to hate me, but you just can't. That's funny" Klaus laughed as Caroline glared at him to let him know that she wasn't in the mood to play with him "Okay, not funny" he quickly wiped the smile from his face. "Is there anything I can say?" he asked

"It's more along the lines of doing is what I need from you" Caroline replied as she could only see the look of disappointment in his face "But you can't give me that" she replied sadly. Taking a moment to let a few thoughts seep in, Klaus quickly pulled his chair closer towards her so that he could face her.

"Turn towards me" Klaus told her

"For what?" Caroline asked in confusion

"Just turn towards me" Klaus said as he grabbed her hand to assist her in turning towards him

"What's the point in this?" Caroline asked "Am I suppose to look you in the eye now so I clearly and vividly see when you're lying?" she asked

"Or you could clearly and vividly be quiet" Klaus laughed as he held his hands up for her to place hers against.

"Now what?" Caroline asked as she carefully placed her hands against his

"Just close your eyes now" Klaus told her as she reluctantly followed his instructions. "What do you see?" he asked as he held her hands tight

"Nothing. Am I suppose to see something?' Caroline asked

"Try a little harder" Klaus said

"I'm trying" Caroline replied as she only saw darkness with her eyes closed. Sighing in frustration, Caroline wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to see but as she felt his hands pull hers towards his chest, she began to see the vision that he was projecting to her. Looking at her smile begin to widen, Klaus couldn't help but feel overjoyed but he did his best to keep his own trembles under control from the voices.

"Do you know where you are love?" Klaus asked

"Yes. It's Paris" Caroline smiled happily "How are you able to show me this?" she asked as her eyes remained closed

"I have a few tricks that you've yet to see. Some secrets are good love" Klaus smiled as he moved in closer towards her, making sure not to let go of her hands as he held her closely "You see the Louvre, it holds the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo" he whispered to her

"It has such a diverse range of paintings here" Caroline smiled

"Then we have the Notre Dame Cathedral" Klaus said as he closed his eyes to join her on the journey "Took over a hundred years to make, I happened to be there in the beginning thoughts of even making such a Cathedral but it's become the heartbeat of medieval Paris" he told her

"You were there in the beginning? What were you like at the town hall meeting for it?" Caroline laughed as she asked him

"You forget how old I am sweetheart" Klaus told her "There's still much you have to see…" he began to say

"Take me to the Eiffel Tower!" Caroline exclaimed excitedly as she gripped on tight to his hands, eager for more

"Your wish is my command" Klaus told her

* * *

In her mind, Klaus had showed her around all there was to see in Paris. Though it wasn't exactly what he had in mind for him actually showing her the world, Klaus was just glad that he was able to see her smile. Never wanting to leave, even though it was something all in her mind, Caroline felt as she had been on an adventure of a lifetime. Laying on the floor beside each other, Klaus and Caroline smiled as they just laughed about their experience that they had with each other. It took a few moments for Caroline to remember why she was even upset with him. It was moments like this that she began to really understand what she felt for him, it was unlike anything she had ever felt before and she was starting to realize that it was because she had never felt this strongly about someone.

"Are you still upset with me?" Klaus asked her as he looked over at her

"I want to be. I should be…" Caroline said in a bit of a whisper as he intertwined his hands with hers "But I'm not" she told him as she could see that his focus had turned towards their intertwined hands. "Thank you for this" she smiled

"I told you once that I would show you the world…" Klaus said as he began to get choked up with emotion that he couldn't let her see. Mustering up the courage to hide his emotions from her, Klaus kissed the top her hand as he rolled on to his side to face her "I want to keep my promises to you" he told her

"You definitely did that" Caroline smiled "I wish we could do something like that. I wish it wasn't like this" she told him as she rested her forehead against the top of his head.

"I want the same" Klaus muttered

"But how do we do that? How do we go on figuring out what we are, when it's clear the battle lines are being drawn? I mean I fear that there will come a day where I will have to not trust you" Caroline questioned as he looked up at her. Caressing the side of her cheek, Klaus pressed his forehead up against hers

"This battle isn't between us" Klaus replied

"But it will be. We can say that it won't, but it will because it always does" Caroline told him "This…what's going on between us today, it's only going to get worse. I'm going to be forced to choose sides, and as much as I want peace to come, it's not. So I need your help. I need you to find whatever peace…." she began to plead before Klaus silenced her with a kiss "You can't do that. It's not going to work" she said as she broke the kiss while Klaus continued to hold her close while she struggled with wanting to push away or hold him close

"Listen to me" Klaus whispered to her "I've made my wars, I've fought every one…" he began to say

"That doesn't make me feel better…" Caroline began to reply as she shook her head

"But I'm making my peace. I'm making my peace by trying to be the best man I can be" Klaus told her as he tucked away the strands of hair from her face "I've made my peace and I will accept defeat if it should be my only option. So this war…it doesn't phase me because the only thing I want if this were to be my last days or should be…I just want you" he told her as she looked at him with a bit of confusion. Caroline loved that he spoke with confidence, but she couldn't help but latch on to a key words.

"What do you mean if this were to be or should be your last days?" Caroline asked

"I meant it in the general sense sweetheart" Klaus lied as he took a moment to truly access what he should do. Should he tell her the truth or should he let her continue with her inner struggle, hoping soon that it would end by his death. There were a million things swirling around in his head that he wanted her to know, but he felt like he didn't have the time to say it. "Whatever will come, will come. I just want this now with you, that's all I want and I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize that with you" he told her as he looked her dead in the eyes to assure her that his words were true. Looking in his eyes, Caroline could see that he spoke with such truth, but it was a truth that made her worry more than feel assured. In her heart, Caroline didn't question that he would hurt her but she felt like his words had underlying meanings that she wasn't quite seeing yet. Leaning in to kiss her, Klaus pressed his lips against hers as if he wanted to savor this for the rest of his life. Bracing the side of his face, Caroline deepened the kiss as she just wanted to feel safe with him like she slowly begun to feel amidst the craziness of what they had created together.

* * *

Looking out at the moonlight, Caroline felt secure with his arm resting on her waist. Caroline could feel him beside her resting so peaceful as he just slept, turning slightly, she looked on at him as if this was an image that she never wanted to forget. Laying naked with him under the sheets of the bed they had shared, Caroline was sure that to the outside world he was a monster but with her, he was something amazing. Unable to fall asleep beside him like she was used to, Caroline slowly slipped out of the bed and carefully put her robe on as she tried not to wake Klaus. Slipping down the staircase, Caroline laughed to herself as she couldn't help but notice that the light in the kitchen was still on and she knew exactly who was inside. Making her way into the kitchen, Caroline was surprised to see Robert sitting at the counter with a cup of coffee in hand, looking as if he was depressed.

"What are you doing up so late?" Caroline asked as she leaned up against the doorway of the kitchen. Surprised to see that she was up, Robert had a surprised look on his face. Unable to hide the worry that was in his face, Caroline couldn't help but notice the look that he wore as it was clear he was drowning in thoughts with his cup of coffee "Is something up?" she asked

"No, everything is fine" Robert laughed weakly

"You sure because you usually don't sit up with coffee at night" Caroline said as she walked over to take a seat beside him "What's going on? What ails you?" she asked with a bit of a sigh. Looking over at Caroline, Robert felt guilt as he wanted to be open with Caroline but knew that he couldn't.

"This is about a woman" Robert lied as he shifted his sorrow towards the cup

"The woman?" Caroline asked

"Yes, the woman" Robert laughed weakly "You see, she's beautiful and devastatingly delightful, I just simply don't know what to do with myself" he teased

"Now I have to meet her because I think I can find at least one flaw in this woman that will make you work up the courage to at least talk to her" Caroline laughed

"Everyone has a flaw. I don't think that's the thing. I think it goes more along the lines of that I'm afraid of the love affair ending" Robert smiled weakly "It's like knowing that when you begin something that it could potentially make you smile, it can make you happier than you've ever been. It could make you believe that you're finally a part of something for the first, like you can see a future…." he said as he trailed off into that moment of thought "Then you come to realize that it'll end. No matter how much you want to avoid it, you'll realize in the end that it will all end because everything does" he said as his eyes became watery without him even knowing it. Noticing the tears, Caroline rubbed his shoulder in comfort which quickly tore him out of his reverie

"Hey, you don't need to be so doom and gloom. Yes, everything can happen in that not so particular order, but it could all happen differently. You could be happy, you could have a different outcome than you ever imagined. It all starts with just acknowledging that you're ready for that new experience" Caroline smiled as Robert and her stared at each other for a few moments. Looking at Robert, Caroline couldn't help but feel like something more was going on, like it was more than just women problem. "That did help, right? I mean a different outcome can come?" she questioned

"I have high hopes" Robert told her as the tears once again came to his eyes which Caroline only more skeptical

"What's really going on? I mean we're talking about the woman. I just gave you advice on a woman, right?" Caroline continued to question before he looked away "Tell me!" she demanded

"Did you look?" Robert asked

"What the hell does that mean?" Caroline questioned "What am I looking for? What should I being looking at closely? I wish you would just say it rather than speak in riddles because if there's something I need to know, then just tell me" she said becoming annoyed

"I wish…" Robert began to say

"Stop saying that!" Caroline yelled in frustration "The way you're acting with the whole it all comes to end speech….you act like someone is dying" she stated as Robert nearly broke, hoping that she wouldn't notice his change in expression as she had hit on the head as to what was going on. Reading him closely, Caroline shook her head as she knew the only person that could have the effect on Robert was the very person that lay asleep. "No, no, no" she shook her in disbelief

"He told me not to say anything…" Robert quickly reasoned

"And you actually listened?" Caroline yelled as the tears welled up and began to fall

"What was I supposed to do?" Robert asked

"Tell me" Caroline replied as tension filled silence came between them

"Okay, now I'm telling you now….he's dying. I have no idea and I've tried but he won't accept my help. So now…we need to do something, we need to save him" Robert said as tears fell from his eyes as he couldn't help but revert back to the guy that once had to watch one that he loved drift away into the after life. Standing in a state of shock, Caroline wanted to scream and yell to the top of her lungs but still found that this was all much to take on "I will do whatever, but we have to save him…" he began to plead

"I can't…I can't do this" Caroline said as she took in the sight of Robert crying hysterically before she finally turned to leave in an instance. Running over to grab a coat, Caroline grabbed her keys and immediately left the house. Crying as she ran over towards her car, and quickly got in. Slamming the door shut, Caroline gripped on to the wheel for a moment. Gripping on tighter, Caroline hoped that she could get a grip on to the situation but found that she was only losing it. Crying uncontrollably. Caroline couldn't stop herself before she finally forced herself to start the car and just go.

* * *

Waking up in midst of the darkness of the room, Klaus extended his hand out to smooth the side of the bed beside him but found that it was empty. Quickly sitting up in the bed, Klaus looked around to see if she was anywhere in the room but only reached another level of disappointment to find that she was nowhere to be found. Tossing the covers back on the bed, Klaus sat on the side of the bed for a moment before he let out a yawn. Reaching out to grab a glass of water that was on the nightstand, Klaus couldn't help but notice that his hand was trembling as the little rumblings of voices that went in and out of his ear. Klaus felt the voices get stronger and stronger as he did his best to get a sip of his water. Gripping the glass tight, Klaus was unable to go on with his normal actions until he finally broke the glass. Seeing the punctures from the broken glass cause blood to trickle down his hand, Klaus breathed heavily before he felt her presence beside him on the bed.

"There, there brother. I'm here" Rebekkah told her brother as she brought her hand up to caress the side of his face while all Klaus could do was look on in complete and utter shock.

* * *

Wrapping the robe around her as she got out of the bed, Elena quickly opened up her bedroom door before she made her out into the darkened hallway. Looking toward Jeremy's bedroom, Elena could see that her brother was still fast asleep in his room. Making her way downstairs, Elena walked closer towards the pounding noise that was coming from the door. From the glimpses that she got out of the cracks from the curtains, Elena still could see that it was dark outside. Opening the door, Elena was caught off guard to see that Caroline stood on the other side in her robe as well with a sweater on top that she always had handy in her car.

"Caroline, what are you doing by so late?" Elena asked with a bit of concern

"I know that it's crazy, and I know that I'm supposed to be on one side but I can't….before I was all gung ho for this to happen, but this can't happen…" Caroline began to babble through the tears that were falling

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked

"He's dying. Klaus is dying" Caroline cried as Elena seemed a bit surprised to hear the news

"I'm sorry, but what do you expect from me…I mean you knew this was coming, you knew that was the whole reason you were even over there in the first place" Elena reasoned

"I know, but now I'm asking you for help….I want to save him" Caroline told her.


	17. All For One, One For All

**Author's Note: Two more chapters left. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and I really look forward to your feedback so please give it. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**Monster**

**Chapter Seventeen- All For One, One For All**

* * *

Observing the look of the mansion, Rebekkah walked around the living room while she waited for her brother's arrival downstairs. Noticing the man coming out of the kitchen with a tray of coffee and cookies on hand, Rebekkah studied him for a moment as she was sure that Klaus had compelled him. She could tell the certain attributes that drew Klaus to the man, but Rebekkah wasn't sure to see the man as a loyal and obedient servant or one that had come to wane on his compulsion. Putting the tray down on the table, Robert began to set up the table for their guest. Finally coming down the staircase, Klaus looked over into the living room to see that what he was seeing was real, Rebekkah had returned. Walking over towards the curtains, Klaus looked out to see that the morning was coming on slowly.

"You've kept up the place Nik, very proud of you" Rebekka smiled as she skeptically looked on at the cup of coffee that Robert had given to her "Do I just trust the old man?" she asked her brother as she didn't tear her glance away from Robert

"He puts blood in it, you'll be fine" Klaus sighed as Rebekkah reluctantly took the cup and cautiously took a sip from it "Besides my obvious peril, what brings you back Bekah?" he asked

"I told you I would come back for you" Rebekkah told him as she took a seat

"Yes, as in you or will I be expecting the rest of the gang to be joining you?" Klaus asked

"Well, I tried to entice Kol to join a long but he had a little twit in Malaysia that he couldn't tear himself away. I'd expect him to join soon, but the rest I'm sure will saunter in one by one" Rebekkah replied

"I didn't need you or anyone else to come for me!" Klaus groaned in frustration

"I'm sorry, but did you truly expect us to just let you die. Nik, surely you didn't believe that" Rebekkah questioned with a bit of suspicion

"So what? You all come back, save me, then we do what?" Klaus asked

"We implement whatever plan you've worked up. I'm sure Elijah will spread peace, but they've struck first…I'm sure he'll see whatever witch craft they will cast on you as an obvious threat" Rebekkah said

"All of which will lead him to want peace between all of us, and…" Klaus began to say

"You'll soon see that Elijah doesn't take kindly to broken words. Nik, your freedom is near" Rebekkah said as she could only see the look of concern on her brother's face "Why do I detect that you're distracted. Like you don't appreciate all that your family is doing?" she began to question

"Because…I don't need saving. The last thing I want is to be in debted to Elijah!" Klaus yelled as Rebekkah studied him carefully before she got up from her seat to walk towards her brother. Watching the two interact with each other, Robert was unsure how to view the visit by Rebekkah because of Klaus's obvious dismay to hear the rest of his family would soon be following.

"No, I sense something more. What's going on Niklaus?" Rebekkah asked as Klaus remained silent "Is there someone…was there a reason why you were in the nude when I saw you?" she asked

"I don't have to explain anything to you" Klaus sneered at his sister

"This will be fun. The guessing game of who's got my brother contemplating death" Rebekkah said she began to toy with him "I wonder how she'll be with her heart resting in my hands, I mean I don't think conversation will go for long after that" she smiled devilishly

"You make idle threats Bekkah" Klaus groaned "All of which will have you out of my house" he sneered

"I will save you, and when I do, you'll thank me" Rebekkah replied before she walked past Klaus and made her way over towards the staircase "It's good to be home" she smiled before she made her way up the stairs

"Robert!" Klaus growled in frustration as he turned to look at him

"Shall I prepare the rooms?" Robert asked a bit frazzled by Klaus's tone

"Do that and prepare a stake, I'll need to commit suicide sooner than I thought" Klaus replied as he was storming towards his studio. Going towards the kitchen, Robert looked out the window to make sure that Klaus was going into his studio before he began to pace the floor in the kitchen. Mumbling to himself, Robert had hoped that seeing his family would entice him to feel more open to finding some sort of a way to save himself, but Robert knew that the time was ticking against him. Grabbing the phone, Robert hesitantly called up a number that had become familiar to him.

"I need to see you" Robert said in a whisper "No, you will see me. We've done it your way, now we do mine. Be there in the next hour" he demanded before he hung up the phone to slam it down on the kitchen counter.

* * *

Changing into a few of Elena's clothes, Caroline looked over at the clock to see that the time had passed by quicker than she thought. Applying a bit of lip gloss on her lips, Caroline couldn't help but wonder if she should call to check in with Klaus to make sure that every thing with Klaus was okay, but then she felt like she needed to have some bit of space to figure out what her move was going to be. Her thoughts still remained the same, Caroline wanted to save Klaus and she was willing to find any way to make that possible. The hard part was convincing everyone else that he deserved that chance. Making her way downstairs, Bonnie did little to hide her concern as she knew that any late night call from Elena was sure to be bad. Caroline was mostly surprised that Elena had managed to leave the Salvatore brothers out of this. Taking a cup of coffee from Elena, the girls gathered together on the sofa as it was clear that tension was in the room.

"So should we get down to business?" Caroline asked as she brought her feet up to her chest before taking a sip of her coffee. Looking from Elena's look of concern to Bonnie's, Caroline was just waiting for something to happen.

"I guess my first question is this the truth?" Bonnie asked "Have you lost your mind? Or am I just imagining things?" she asked

"No, you're not imagining things" Caroline replies

"I just want to hear it from your mouth? Are you with him?" Bonnie asked

"Yes" Caroline replied as she leaned forward to put her cup of coffee down only to get the full on sound of Bonnie's groans of disappointment

"I've known for a while" Elena admitted

"And I'm just now hearing about it?" Bonnie questioned "I thought we were all friends here?" she questioned

"What was us I supposed to say? I'm sleeping with Klaus…" Caroline began to say

"You're sleeping with him!" Bonnie exclaimed as she popped up from her seat in complete shock

"We should move on to the important matter" Elena suggested but found that no one was listening to her

"How can you sleep with him! I mean he's the whole reason we're all in this mess! How careless can you be?" Bonnie replied angrily

"It's my life Bonnie" Caroline replied "I understand the concern because I've had the same, but I couldn't stop it. I tried. I just couldn't stop it, it happened" she said as tears welled up in her eyes

"It happened? Are you kidding me?" Bonnie asked

"Look, I get that you're upset and worried but she's our friend" Elena yelled as she wanted the attention to shift to her so they would stop arguing

"Which is why I think her even entertaining the thought of being with someone that is trying to kill you is stupid. Oh, by the way, did you forget he's dying?" Bonnie questioned

"No, I haven't forgotten. It's why we're here" Caroline replied as Bonnie just looked at Elena and Caroline in utter disbelief

"What do you mean? you can't be serious?….you're serious" Bonnie said to herself

"He's better. He has a soul, I've seen him be better. He can't hurt anyone, let alone Elena" Carolina quickly reasoned

"Now you're making excused for him" Bonnie stated

"Will you just listen to me?" Caroline replied becoming upset with Bonnie

"Okay, explain. Do explain how you go from despising him to now sleeping with him?" Bonnie asked as she turned all her attention towards Caroline.

"I can have Klaus assure us that he will not go after Elena. We can put boundary spell on him again until he's fully acclimated to his soul" Caroline suggested "I mean I could work with him, I'll take full responsibility for his actions" she said

"And if he kills someone, then what?" Bonnie asked

"Then there's Damon and Stefan. They'll never go for this" Elena quickly added

"Because of you. They think that Klaus will put you in danger, but if I give you my word then they'll listen to you" Caroline told her

"When has Damon listened to me when it comes to risks?" Elena questioned

"He'll listen to you on this. C'mon you at least have to try" Caroline pleaded

"I'm not risking my life for Klaus" Bonnie stated "It's strange and odd that you all of sudden feel for Klaus, but we all know this is you going through a phase" she said

"Oh God Bonnie! This has nothing to do with Tyler or me trying to do something out of the ordinary!" Caroline yelled

"Then what? How can you risk all of our lives for him?" Bonnie asked "Abby could die for the things she's done. These spells take so much out of her that each time she gets weaker using her powers, but she's doing this to make sure that we're all protected" she reasoned

"Because I know he can be good. I've seen it….I just need you guys to believe me and take a chance on me" Caroline pleaded "I know that all you see is the bad, but if you would see him….he's changed" she reasoned

"We don't have time to get to know him and then determine" Elena said "It's only a week" she told her as Caroline looked even more defeated by the news as she did all that she could to keep herself together. "We've all made sacrifices along the way to get to this point. No one said that this would be easy, but the goal has got to be to protect each other. I know that we're asking a lot of you and we may seem heartless, but my first goal is to protect you not him" she said

"This doesn't protect me" Caroline stated

"But it keeps you and us alive. This isn't just about you anymore, this is about us" Bonnie said "You can't protect him and us at the same time, you have to choose a side" she said

"Bonnie!" Elena replied not wanting it to get to this point with her friends while Caroline slowly rose to her feet to face her friends

"If you could just see…" Caroline reasoned through the tears

"It's too late for that" Bonnie replied "I just need to know that I have two best friends instead of one by the end of next week" she said

"Guys, we just need to calm down…" Elena began to say

"So this is what you want? You want me to say it?" Caroline asked

"Yes, I want to hear you say it" Bonnie replied as a silence came between them, filling the tension that was in the room "I won't help him live, when I want him to die. He did all of this. He caused all of this, so I say good riddance. By the end of the day tomorrow I want to know what side you choose" she said as she gathered her things and began to walk over towards the door to leave.

"Caroline…" Elena began to say

"I know. I know" Caroline said as she wiped away the tears "I just need to go and check on him" she said as she attempted to walk past Elena but found that Elena had grabbed on to her arm

"You have to understand" Elena reasoned

"And I do. I knew there would be a slim shot, but I have to…" Caroline said as she began to cry "I have to, for him because someone has to fight for him and I can't just not" she said as she began to wipe the tears away "I'm sorry, but I will give my answer. As hard as it will be, I will give you guys your answer because you deserve to know" she said trying to stop herself from crying. Walking over towards the door, Caroline opened up the door while Elena trailed behind. Instantly the girls jumped back in surprise as they were caught off guard to see Rebekkah standing on the other side of the door.

* * *

Opening the gate to the alleyway, Robert made his way down the narrow hallway before coming upon a staircase. Going up the stairs, Robert scanned the resident list to find the name that he had been looking for and within moments. Making his way inside the hallway, Robert couldn't help but notice the random people sauntering in the hallways rambling to themselves or sleeping amidst the open spaces. Walking towards the door, Robert stepped over the few bodies that lay in the path towards the door. Coming upon the door, Robert looked around hesitantly before he gritted his teeth and knocked on the door. Noticing that the door was a bit ajar, Robert cautiously walked inside of the room to see that it looked like it had been trashed, which mostly was normal. Opening up his coat, Robert slightly slid his hand inside of his coat only to be surprised by the image that popped out at him. Drawing his weapon, Robert stood prepared to fight but only met laughter from his opponent.

"Seriously?" Robert groaned in frustration as the man continued to laugh as he motioned for Robert to put his weapon away "Do you make a habit out of being a doctor that surprises people to death?" he questioned

"Oh, we both know you won't die so easily" The doctor said as he began to go through his medical bag

"Did you look up what we discussed?" Robert asked

"You mean the last pleasant conversation we had that came after a wasted trip to the mansion of that scoundrel" The doctor replied as he continued to gather his supplies

"C'mon Mannex, what happened to leaving judgments aside" Robert told him

"It's been centuries. You can't just hope that others follow along to your sanity" Mannex replied

"I know darkness, I've been that darkness. So you should trust me on this…" Robert began to say

"All I do is trust you!" Mannex replied becoming frustrated by the minute

"And have I ever stirred you wrong?" Robert questioned

"Case and point, you have asked me to do the unthinkable. You go against the original order and now you want me to help you. Do you understand how crazy you are?" Mannex questioned

"I need you on this" Robert sighed

"Why? What possible reason should you have to help him? Go against centuries worth of hatred towards the scoundrels?" Mannex questioned

"Because…he may have been created from darkness but he is not darkness" Robert replied strongly

"We're not in the business in the saving" Mannex said

"Said the doctor" Robert laughed to himself "C'mon. I just need you to trust me. I know that there are thousand upon thousand of reasons to not, but you have to know that I can be good. I am good" he said

"I'm not sure you can. I almost lost you with…." Mannex began to say

"And I've gotten better. I just need you to make him better" Robert replied "I'll endure the wrath, but I really need your help" he said as a moment of silence came between them

"There is no simple way in doing this" Mannex sighed "You have to be prepared for the worst to come out" he warned

"We're at the worst. I just want a little better to get us through" Robert told him before Mannex dug into his bag to pull out a tube and a syringe to hold up for his friend to see.

* * *

Within the matter of hours, Klaus found that his house was being over taken by the likes of his youngest of brother. Kol seemed more unruly than before which made him fear that his brother knew more than he let on. It wasn't too long ago that Kol had presented Klaus with a dagger that would kill the curse by the death of the Wicca that put on the spell to begin with. With the bit of trembles that he got through out the day, Klaus wanted to do his best to keep them under control while he was in the presence of his family. More and more, Klaus found his mind to wander and worry about how Caroline was doing or what she was going through. His every thought was wrapped up in her welfare as he hated that there was no way for him to just push his family aside to check on her. Finding a secluded space away from Kol's loud disturbances from his room, Klaus managed to call Caroline as he just needed to hear her voice for some time that it was the one voice that he wanted to hear all over the others. It was about three rings before she finally answered the phone.

"Do you have any idea that your family is in town, specifically your sister" Caroline quickly spoke

"What?" Klaus asked in a bit of confusion as how quickly she spoke "Did you say my sister?" he asked

"Yes, she just came by Elena's talking about your family is back. Is this true? Did you call for them?" Caroline asked

"Why did you go to Elena's?" Klaus questioned

"Because I know. I know the truth Klaus" Caroline stated as Klaus took a moment to compose his thought on how he should handle this "When were you planning on telling me?" she asked as he could hear the tears on her line of the phone

"I wanted my time" Klaus replied after a few moments of thought

"Your time! What time were you trying to preserve? The time that allowed you to call your family or the time that you to live?" Caroline questioned

"Do we really have to argue like this love?" Klaus sighed as he ran his hand through his hair

"Yes, we have to fight like this because it's your inability to tell me anything" Caroline reasoned "I want you to tell me, tell me what the hell is going on?" she asked

"Do you really need to hear me say it?" Klaus asked after a moment of silence came between them before he could hear her tears pick up on her end of the phone. With each tear that she tried not to shed, Klaus died all over again because his intent was to never hurt her but he just never thought that she would care that much about him to even cry. Resting his forehead up against the wall, Klaus waited for her to say something that would indicate he'd have some hope of making this up to her. Hearing her hang up the phone, Klaus ended the call as all he could do was rest his forehead up against the wall. Cursing himself over and over again, Klaus took deep breaths to compose himself as all he could do was endure the consequences of his actions. As he prepared to curse himself forever, the phone began to ring before he answered once more. It didn't take long for him to detect that it was her on the other line, but still listening in silence to heart beat was better than listening to nothing at all.

"They say the turning of the moon will be our indicator" Caroline told him in the softest of voices. It was an unspoken word because Klaus knew that within a week the turning of the moon would occur

"I swear to you that I had no idea my family was coming" Klaus told her

"They'll want to save you….as any family should want to" Caroline stated as she wiped away the tears "Elena and Bonnie know the truth. Elena saw us and I had to tell Bonnie" she cried

"And I'm sure they read you the riot act" Klaus concluded as he silently hated the position he put her in. Hearing her silence on the line along with the muffled tears that she cried, Klaus knew that there was only one way this phone conversation could go or at least needed to go for it to be productive for the both of them "This is it. We're over love" he couldn't bear to say

"It has to be….they're my friends" Caroline reasoned

"I get it" Klaus replied "I'm not asking you to choose. I would never ask you and I won't" he said trying to rid himself of the tears

"Just do whatever it takes…I need you to make any deal possible to stay alive. You're better than what every one says" Caroline pleaded

"A coward is something I swore to never be….and I'm not going to start now" Klaus replied

"I'm not asking you to be that, I just want you to put life above everything else than this war" Caroline replied angrily as her frustration began to show but not because she mad with him but just wanted him to fight. Once again the silence grew, making it more difficult for him to want to end the call as he knew this might be their last.

"Do you think that if it were different circumstances and we were brought together under different circumstances…do you think we'd have shot? Do you think we'd have a forever or at least a chance at it?" Klaus asked as he slid down the wall to his knees

"We were something" Caroline replied after a moment of thought. She hated that she had to be so cruel, but giving him hope at this point would've been pointless to the oncoming struggle they were going to face within their closest of circles.

"But we could never be" Klaus concluded as they both suffered through the painful silence that was the end of them

"Take care of yourself. Please" Caroline pleaded through the tears

"I will" Klaus muttered before she eventually hung up. Hanging his head, Klaus brought his knees up to his chest as he gritted his teeth trying to bare the voices along with his own heartache. Slowly entering the room, Rebekkah couldn't help but notice her brother's pain that seemed more apparent than anything else that he tried to conceal from her.

"Nik, are you okay?" Rebekkah asked before Klaus quickly covered the sides of his head with his hands.

"Go!" Klaus groaned as Rebekkah continued to walk towards him

"Was it her?" Rebekkah asked

"If I said yes, would that inspire you to piss off?" Klaus asked in complete annoyance with his sister's presence

"Is this girl, is she Caroline Forbes?" Rebekkah asked as Klaus just looked at her before he quickly rose to his feet "I'm not stupid Nik. I can tell you've changed, I can tell that you're a bit lighter than usual" she told him

"Good, then you should know that we're not having this conversation" Klaus replied not wanting any part of this conversation with her "We kill Damon and Stefan if that should present itself, then I get my doppleganger so we could be rid of this place" he said becoming upset by the minute

"Is it that simple? Turn it on and off" Rebekkah asked as she looked on at her brother with skeptical eyes "What is it like to have a soul again? To feel everything?" she asked in the softest of tones as he turned to look at her.

"Sometimes feeling is overrated" Klaus replied before he made his way out of the room only to be greeted by his youngest brother

"Cocktails anyone" Kol smiled as he held up a bottle of vodka for them all to partake in. Quickly pushing past his brother, Klaus continued on his way out as all he wanted to do was find some way of escape.

* * *

Waking up from her sleep, Caroline squirmed around slowly as she clenched on tight to her pillow. Her eyes slowly opened to find that he was sitting on the edge of her bed. Sitting up in a bit of a hurry, Caroline looked at him skeptically as the last person that she expected to see would be sitting there. Smiling back at her with the biggest of smiles, Caroline questioned why he would be smiling if he knew the truth of what was really going on, but it had finally dawned on her that the reason he smiled wasn't because he knew, it was because of her. Not wanting to come across like something was bothering her, Caroline brought her knees up to her chest as she welcomed the company. She needed something to distract her from something that was sure to be a mess in the end.

"Sleeping the day away should be a crime" Tyler smiled as he rubbed her feet

"After the morning I had, a nap was the only good thing to look forward to" Caroline smiled

"You're back at your mom's, how did this happen?" Tyler asked

"Things are coming to a close. There wasn't a need to be back at the mansion" Caroline smiled weakly "What brings you by?" she asked

"I just wanted to see you" Tyler smiled as she looked at him skeptically for a moment knowing that something else was going on "Okay, I kind of wanted to see you" he laughed

"Who put you up to this? Bonnie. Elena" Caroline asked

"No one. I'm actually here on my own merits because I kind of have this thing where I need to see you. I need to see you like all the time now, and I'm afraid that it's my heart saying that it's not over you yet" Tyler told her as they looked at each other for a few moments before he leaned in to kissed her on the lips. Softly and tenderly, Tyler kissed her before he finally broke away "I'm still in love with you. Always have been" he breathed as he was a mere inch away from her face

"Ty…" Caroline began to say

"We're never going to be able to figure out what we'll be until you give us a chance. I know I have a lot to make up, but I'm willing to show you that you're the only girl for me" Tyler told her "Come out with me tonight?" he asked

"Are you serious?" Caroline asked with a bit of laughter

"I'm serious" Tyler smiled "I want you back Caroline Forbes" he told her as he caressed his hand against her cheek "You're my forever and if that's how long it will take to show you, then I'm prepared to spend it" he told her

"Why now?" Caroline asked as she searched his eyes for some sort of a sign to let her know that this was real and not her imagination

"Because you're the best thing that's ever happened to me" Tyler told her

Heading back into the house, Robert looked around to see if any more of Klaus's family had decided to make their way back to the mansion. Putting his coat away in the closet, Robert quickly made his way towards the kitchen as he knew that Klaus would have his head for not completing his duties around the house. Things were crazy, but he knew that Klaus still wanted some bit of normalcy even as things were waning against him. Going into the kitchen, Robert immediately spotted Rebekkah and Kol sitting at the kitchen counter eating. Continuing on with his duties, Robert began to look through the pantries as he thought to himself on what would be good to cook for dinner tonight.

"I never caught your name" Rebekkah stated as Robert slowly turned to face her

"It's Robert" Robert replied

"What, no last name?" Rebekkah smiled as she asked him

"Robert Hanson" Robert replied as Rebekkah looked at him a bit quizzically

"Hanson. I knew a man named Hanson" Rebekkah replied as a smile slowly came to her face "Of course he wasn't that much of a looker, but he wrote the best sonnets me" she told him

"You think every soddin' thing is about you" Kol laughed "Excuse her fancies that usually end up on herself. How is Nik treating you? I mean let's disregard the fact that you have no bit of choice, but how is it?" he asked as he waved his hands at Robert thinking he was some sort of robot.

"He treats me fine" Robert replied trying not to show his irritation by Kol's actions as he wanted so desperately to push him away. Thankfully his wish was granted as Klaus wasted no time in pushing Kol away.

"Mind your manners around the bloke" Klaus threatened

"Death makes you a bit hasty, you should find the lighter sides of undead especially with one that will save you" Kol replied as he adjusted his shirt from being roughed up by Klaus

"You keep pushing" Klaus sneered at his brother before Kol finally backed down on his pursuit to get the last word with his brother. "You're off for the night" he told Robert as he turned to look at him

"It's okay. I can serve…." Robert began to reason

"I don't want a bloody discussion!" Klaus yelled "Just go, leave. You're services aren't needed" he told him as he let out a sigh

"Have you gone mad?" Rebekkah asked

"No, he's not my servant and I would not to further the youngest of siblings to be so lazy" Klaus replied to his sister as he kept his focus on Robert "I mean it old man, go back to your semblance of life" he replied

"Sir, I'm perfectly fine" Robert told him as he didn't want to come across as begging but at this point the almost felt that begging would have to be an option. Stepping towards Robert, Klaus focused in on Robert's eyes as he grabbed on to Robert's side.

"You will leave this instant. You will go back to your life and forget all there is to me and my family. You will forget everything….but most of all, you will find your…you will find your happiness regardless of fear" Klaus told him as he broke the compulsion that he had on Robert. Standing in a complete daze, Robert slowly came back to his reality as he began to look around as if he were more confused than ever.

"Wow, that was touching" Kol replied finding the speech to be over dramatic before Rebekkah punched her brother in the gut.

"…where am I?" Robert asked after much hesitation

"You've wandered off, but you should find your way back" Klaus smiled as he pretended as if he had just met Robert for the first time. "Kol, assist him on his way out" he said as he stepped back to let Kol by him

"Why am I always stuck doing things?" Kol muttered to himself as Klaus took a moment to compose himself as he had watched Robert be lead away by his brother. Giving one final look back, Robert seemed a bit like he was looking back at someone familiar than someone that he had never met before. A part of Klaus wanted Robert to remember some bit of him, but he knew it'd be wishful thinking for him to want such a thing and ultimately he had to accept that they'd be a friendship best forgotten.

"Now, if you're finished playing martyr, I believe I have something that you may need" Rebekkah said

"Like a plan. You guys have come back and taken over my house…" Klaus began to say as he began to bang around in the cabinets in search of a cup

"I thought this was the family house" Rebekkah replied

"It's mine" Klaus groaned

"Well, that's besides the point. In due time…" Rebekkah began to say

"Or when Elijah comes" Klaus detected from his sisters inability to answer the question

"That too. Until then, I have something that will hopefully lighten your mood by the slightest" Rebekkah said as she handed Klaus a set of keys "An old man in town spoke about this cabin in the woods. It's supposedly abandoned due to ghostly things that have been happening out there" she told him as he looked down at the keys

"And on the pending eve of my death, you think it'd be wise for me to go to this cabin?" Klaus questioned "Have you gone mad is the true question?" he asked

"You really don't recognize it, do you?" Rebekkah questioned as she looked at her brother "This cabin was Mikael's, which makes it a part of our land. Now granted you have a few spots that aren't sure, but I'm sure you'll move quick enough to avoid combustion . It's ghostly because it's manage to keep upright out of all the construction done from back then. I went by and it's mostly a suitable place, but the horrors of the things that go bump at night scare people away" she said

"What's your angle?" Klaus asked

"For you to trust me, and leave before you're pending death will come sooner than you think. You're miserable and being around the house isn't doing you any good" Rebekkah said as Klaus looked at her intently with much reserve as to why she was doing this "It's your choice, but I should warn you that Elijah is planning to come in tonight. So I'd prepare for that homecoming, in which I'm sure will be filled with numerous books and lectures as to how we go about…." she began to say before Klaus eventually headed out of the kitchen and grabbed his coat. With a smile plastered on her face, Rebekkah was glad to see that Klaus had fallen for her monologue on the boringness that was Elijah. Pulling her cell phone out, Rebekkah knew there was only one more needed piece to this puzzle that she was putting together.

* * *

Standing in front of the mirror, Caroline looked herself over as she had put the final touches on herself before she had to leave for her date with Tyler. A part of her thought that she was crazy for going out with Tyler so soon after just breaking up with Klaus, but nothing about her made sense anymore. She was heartbroken, but a part of her wanted her life back. Caroline wanted her choice to be worth it in the end because if she'd choose her friends then this was the life she was supposed to lead. Tears welled up in her eyes as she just looked back at herself in the mirror before she finally worked up the courage to leave. Heading downstairs, Caroline began to put her keys in her purse just as her mother made her way inside the house. Smiling in delight to see her daughter, Elizabeth walked over to help Caroline in putting the necklace on.

"I always used to have a problem with this" Elizabeth smiled as she helped assist

"Thanks" Caroline smiled once the necklace was put on. Leaning in to hug her mother, Caroline felt a sense of peace as she got to hold her mother "It's good to be back home" she said as she held her mother

"It's good to have you back. I was beginning to think that was your official way of moving out on me" Elizabeth laughed as they walked over to take a seat on the sofa "So are you going out with Tyler?" she asked

"Yes, he's supposed to be surprising me" Caroline smiled as she looked down at her dress

"Surprises are good in the early stages, they soon fade after a while. Enjoy the surprise" Elizabeth told her "How have you been?" she asked "I feel like I have seen you in ages" she laughed

"Probably because you haven't" Caroline sighed "I'm doing good. School is getting back on track, and I'm starting to really think I can used to this being smart thing" she told her

"What makes you think you aren't smart?" Elizabeth asked

"It was a phase I went through early on, but I've managed to receive encouraging words….from someone who seems to think the world of me" Caroline said as she couldn't help but trail off in thought about Klaus and his encouraging words he always had for her "But that's just a fleeting thought now" she said trying to shake off thoughts of him

"Well, you're smart and I hope you never doubt that" Elizabeth told her

"How have you been? Have you done anything out of the ordinary?" Elizabeth asked

"No, I haven't. I've seen things out of the ordinary, but I haven't done anything out of the ordinary" Elizabeth said "You seem different or when you used to run in to the station you seemed different" her mother said

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked

"I don't know, maybe it's my intuition kicking in and maybe Tyler is really making you over the moon these days, but I don't know I sense something" Elizabeth said "I see you smiling a lot more, and I see you being more comfortable. I'm just happy that you're happy now" she smiled

"Yeah well, lately hasn't been so good" Caroline sighed as she looked away from her mother's hopeful eyes "Things are kind of rough with Elena and Bonnie. I've been given a difficult choice and I'm afraid of making the wrong choice or just being unsatisfied in the end" she said trying not to cry

"Hey, friendships are always going to have their bumps but the special ones are always worth it. I've seen the three of you together and I'm sure that you have the special ones. You guys will figure it out" Elizabeth told her daughter

"I hope" Caroline smiled weakly

"Hey, everything will work itself out. You will find a way with them" Elizabeth smiled just as Caroline received a text on her phone

"And he just text me….he wants me to meet up with him" Caroline said as she looked at her phone "I guess I should get going then" she said as she got up from her seat

"Well it was nice talking to you" Caroline said as she leaned in to hug her mother and give her a kiss on the cheek before she walked over towards the door.

"Have fun….and be safe" Elizabeth said before Caroline turned around to look at her mother in horror as different meanings swirled around in her head. "Oh, that didn't come out the way I hoped it would" she said to herself as she now knew that she was losing cool points with her daughter.

* * *

Tossing another block of wood into the fire, Klaus rubbed his arms as he kneeled down to take in the warmth of the fire. Rubbing his hands together, Klaus began to feel the relaxation of finally being rid of his family even if it was just for one night, it was enough to let him get himself under control. Each day got hard with the voices and the plaguing guilt that hung over him as moments of thought only led to him thinking about his past. So much of him wanted to live in the present, but his past had a way of stopping any of that from happening. Rising to his feet, Klaus walked outside to take in the night sky as he knew that soon he would have bed down so that he wouldn't draw attention to himself in the woods. Hearing a bit of trampling sounds coming from a few feet away, Klaus stood guarded as he slowly began to walk towards the sound. Cautiously he made sure to observe his surrounding for any other surprises that might jump out at him just as he was noticing that the sounds were coming closer. Wanting to make the first move, Klaus was caught off guard to see that the person that he was about to attack was Caroline. Breathing heavily from the amount of energy he had exerted, Caroline looked horrified to see that in the blink of an eye he could've hurt her. As the initial surprise wore off, Caroline looked on at Klaus with a worrisome eye as she just seemed overly concerned with everything that he did now that she knew the real truth.

"What are you bloody doing here?" Klaus asked

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be on your property" Caroline asked "And don't get all british and superior on me" she told him

"This is my cabin or well it belongs to my family" Klaus told her "But still the question goes back to you, why are you here?" he asks yet again

"I felt like taking a stroll in the woods" Caroline replied sarcastically "I was supposed to meet up with someone" she said hesitantly as she didn't want to just tell him the whole truth

"And Elena worries about me killing her" Klaus replied sarcastically as he couldn't help but notice how she was avoiding his eye contact. Noticing that he was catching on to her, Caroline began to get nervous

"Okay, I have to go…" Caroline began to say

"You're lying" Klaus replied "You weren't meeting Elena or the broody one out here, weren't you?" he questioned her

"I really don't feel the need to disclose everything to you" Caroline replied

"Because what? We used…" Klaus began to say

"Precisely for that reason" Caroline said as Klaus just gave her a look

"Were you meeting Tyler?" Klaus asked as a pure guess but by her expression it was a dead give away that he struck a nerve "And honesty is a fleeting quality for everyone these days" he laughed in disbelief to himself before he headed back in to the cabin with her following behind

"Honesty? You should be the last one talking on that note" Caroline said as she followed behind

"Which is fine because I don't owe you any truth. I'm dying, get over it!" Klaus replied as he began to grab his coat

"No, it's not get over it! You lied to me. I asked and you lied. You purposely lied to me" Caroline told him

"Yes, I did all of that love. I'm not your problem anymore because you've clearly moved on to wood retreats with the ex, so spare me the concern!" Klaus replied angrily

"You have no right to be upset. I should be upset" Caroline told him "I've risked so much by being with you, and for you to just dismiss me on something like that….that makes you an ass" she told him

"It makes me a realist" Klaus told her "Regardless of how much I like you or care for you, you will always be on the other side. I mean who's to say that what we even had is real if you're so easily swayed back to your old life. I could've been the running joke for you and your friends. So you don't get honesty, not when you can't even be honest yourself!" he said

"So now I was using you! I slept with you…I don't think sleeping with you would be a bonus for me in the friendship department. My friends are upset with me because of you, because I allowed myself to enter into a relationship with you" Caroline replied

"No, you did that all on your own" Klaus replied

"You seemed to play a part in that as well" Caroline quickly replied before Klaus threw his jacket in a fit of anger

"You're a bloody pain!" Klaus yelled "What do you want from me? You want my truths, I'm dying. I hear so many bloody voices that I can't even hear myself think at times because so many are crowding my space that it's just suffocating. This soul kills me day by day because all I can do is feel bad, feel like the scum that I know I am because regardless of who I want to be in the future, I have to deal with my past and that will be something that will take centuries to come to terms with. You keep saying that I can be better well this is the climax of me better, me not wanting to rip Damon's head off and your stupid little friends because once again someone is taking something that I want. I always have to fight! I always have to be the odd person out to give reason on top of reason as to why I deserve one shred of credit! So death at this point, I welcome it because it'll be better than another day of these feelings" he told as his gestures became so animated "My family…I don't control that. They love me in the oddest of way, but they love me. They come to help, but I just…I just want to be left the hell alone. All I do is feel, and this new feeling like my heart is ripping….it's killing me to the point that I can't even look at you because it always seems to happen around you or thinking of you. So if me lying to you will stop this ripping at my heart, then I'm sorry…I have to be away from you" he continued to tell her as she couldn't help but feel her own heart ripping

"I know what it is…the whole heart ripping thing" Caroline said after a few moments of thought

"Are you mocking me now?" Klaus questioned as he couldn't take her being mean

"No, I know what it is" Caroline said before she took a deep sigh "I know it because I've felt it, especially since finding out that you might die or will" she hesitantly told him as they looked on at each other for a few moments

"So what? You care about me now" Klaus questioned

"I don't cry over meaningless people. You will always mean something to me" Caroline told him "I guess I'm so used to you being there, that I think that if I never would've acknowledged you in the first place then I'd know you'd still be alive…then there wouldn't be a goodbye because some goodbyes it's knowing there won't be a tomorrow and I just always thought we'd have a tomorrow" she said as tears welled up in her eyes

"How could this have worked? I mean I go to your house, meet your mum. Hang out with your friends. Pick you up from class. Take you out on dates" Klaus questioned as he couldn't help but get emotional as well "Nothing about us would've been normal…but still I allowed myself to think that I could be that normal for you" he said as he wiped his tears away "I'm not mad about you wanting to be with Tyler. In the weirdest of ways, I'm glad that you can get your life back because at the end of the day knowing that you'll be okay would mean more than anything" he told her as he avoided eye contact with her

"Why do you always discredit what I feel? Like I can't think for myself when it comes to my feelings? You make it seem like he's my only option" Caroline asked in frustration

"Because he'll always be there" Klaus said as he pointed at her heart "He'll be in the space where I'll never be because our only bit of normal that we have doesn't want me there. So the way I see it, this was coming, we just were too blind to see it" he said

"Oh, save it. I was never blind when I was with you" Caroline replied "I didn't put us in some white pickett fence" she told him

"Good, now go get that with Tyler. We'll always have Paris sweetheart" Klaus said as he walked over to open the door for her to leave while all Caroline could do was glare at him. Walking towards the door, Caroline was more than prepared to leave but she turned to look him dead in the eyes instead as they stood in the doorway.

"You can be as mean as you want, but I know you. I know that you're terrified. I know that you want to fight but I also know that you want to protect me…" Caroline began to say as she stared at him

"Saving you is no longer on my list of concerns" Klaus replied

"So then this is goodbye. This is our farewell to it all, us, you" Caroline stated

"Looks to be that way, less in case we find a way to kill your friends and get Elena. Either way, this will be our goodbye because I'm pretty sure my actions from then on else will not be within your best interests" Klaus told her as he took on his cold hearted persona that he once was. A single tear drop fell from the dampened areas on her cheek before she wiped it away.

"Go to hell!" Caroline told him after she slapped him across the face before he caught her hand as she attempted to slap him once more. Crashing his lips against hers, he pinned her up against her side of the doorway as he savagely kissed her without any restraint whatsoever. Bodies pressed up against each other. Neither backed down as they both felt pressed to make their presence felt with the other. Breaking the kiss, Klaus pressed his forehead up against hers as the sounds of their heavy breathing rang loudly in each other's ears. Looking him dead in the eyes, Caroline could see that he wanted this just as badly as she did, which gave her all the more reason to proceed. Leaning in to capture his lips, Klaus pulled her towards him as they backed into the cabin while she kicked the door closed behind her.

Slamming against the wall, Caroline quickly tugged at his shirt as she relieved him of it and tossed it to floor. Following his shirt, Klaus leaned down a bit to pick her up so that her legs were wrapped around his waist. Breathing became erratic as they continued tearing away at clothing. Dress was relieved. Belt undone. Hands slid up her thighs, bringing down a thin layer of cloth to her ankles. Covering his mouth with hers, Klaus tugged at his pants as he made himself bare before entering her. Gasping in pure ecstasy as she felt every part of him, Klaus drove long and hard as the first initial round was to get his fill of her. Kissing the outline of her jaw, Klaus picked up his speed as he began to pound inside of her with a moan matching every thrust that he made. Groaning out in sheer pleasure, Klaus broke away from her impatient lips as he caught his breath.

With the fire flickering in the back round, Klaus lay on top of her as a mere blanket covered their now naked bodies. Tearing his attention away from her lips, Klaus began to kiss her neck as every bit of taste of her was something he wanted for keepsake. Caroline's hands roamed freely down his back to where they cupped his butt, and in a not so settle way she wanted him to enter her. His thrusts were slow and lingering as he wanted her to feel this and know that this was him now making love to her. Looking her in the eyes with each movement he made, Caroline ran her hands wildly through his hair as she pulled him down towards her lips. Nipping at her bottom lip, Klaus massaged her tongue with his as his thrusts picked up. Torturing with her with his inconsistent pace, Klaus wanted her to beg for it as he wanted this to last. Gripping her legs tight around his waist, Klaus drove deeper until finally he grew impatient with his own pace. Slowly picking up his speed, Klaus looked at her faces of pleasure as he continued his assault on her. Nipping at her lips. Biting down on her bottom lip. Teasing her mercifully, they both moaned out as they were both on the same wave length of orgasms. In and out he continued to thrust as they both had no qualms in making sounds to how much pleasure they were receiving until he finally collapsed in her arms.

Taking a few moments to get their heart rate under control, Caroline licked her lips before she leaned over to kiss him. No animalistic vibe, Caroline simply kissed him as if he was something that she always wanted to treasure, like he was beyond something of great meaning to her. That night and every night before then, Caroline knew that he had greater meaning than she originally intended but she just never thought it'd have these circumstances attached to it. Did she expect them to be a normal couple? Did she expect them to be accepted as a couple? No would be the answer to every question in her head but the questions that applied to her, it was different. To every question she had for herself, it was a yes. Could he be good? Could he be the reason she had a new outlook on her life? But most importantly, could she love him? And to each of those questions, they were yes. Rubbing the side of her arm as they lay on their side, Caroline brought her hands up to his face as she held each side while she continued to kiss him.

**This is how I show my love**

**I made it in my mind because**

**I blame it on my A.D.D. baby**

Making her way through the woods, Rebekkah looked on at him as she slowly walked to look on at the view. Standing side by side, Rebekkah could see that it didn't take much of her suspicions to know that they were confirmed with what she was looking at. Glancing over at him, she could see that his fists were clenched tight as he was enraged by the sight. Turning to look at him, Rebekkah took in his anger as him primal urge and began to wonder just what his anger would lead him to do.

"I just thought you should know the truth" Rebekkah told him as she turned to look back at the sight of her brother and Caroline together in naked embrace as they lay together after what appeared to be sex "Now you'll see why I need him focused" she told him

"I get it!" Tyler replied angrily as he growled at her

"We're on different sides, and so should they. I want him to live and it's obvious what you want" Rebekkah told him "Do whatever you must, but if my brother is killed…I'll kill her" she said as she turned to walk away "Time starts now. You have two hours to end their cozy night together" she told him as she walked away

**This is how an angel cries**

**I blame it on my own sick pride**

**Blame it on my A.D.D. baby**

Coming down the staircase, Kol half expected for servant to come out and handle the matter but was only reminded at a time like this. Opening the door to see the figure on the other side, he turned slowly to face his brother. A smile slowly came as he took in the sight of what it felt like to return to something. Dropping his bag on to the floor of what Kol was sure to be goodies of solutions, Kol looked up from the bag towards him.

"Good to see you brother" Elijah told his brother as he entered the house

"Good to see the gang is back together. I do believe we have a doppleganger to kill" Kol smiled as he looked on at his brother walk towards the study. Wearing a devilish smile, Kol was anxious to see what Elijah had in store for Mystic Falls because if Klaus was a party when it came to killing then Elijah was sure to be the show stopper.

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

In one foul swoop, the doors kicked in too quick for either one to react. Doing his best to protect Caroline, Klaus found that the movement of his opponent was too quick. Gathered up in it's presence, all Klaus could hear was her screams before he was eventually pulled away. Seeing the slamming of the door, Klaus was pulled away into the darkness of the night.

**La la la la la la oh!**

**La la la la la la oh!**

* * *

**Author's Note: So as you can tell, a lot of craziness has happened in this chapter. I just want to make it clear that Caroline did choose her friends when it came to the ultimatum that Bonnie placed on. Her choosing her friends led to her trying to adapt back to her old life but she's still very much conflicted over her feelings for Klaus. I was going to put a scene where Caroline tells her friends that she did choose them but I think her actions made it clear that she did. Then if your confused on Robert, good because that's exactly where I want you to be. Robert will not be the person you think he is and you'll soon find out why. So the real question is what will happen to Klaus going into these next two chapters?**


	18. Part One

**Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this first part. I appreciate all the good feedback and I hope that it continues.**

* * *

**Monster**

**Chapter Eighteen- The Covenant (Part One)**

* * *

Getting a quick swig from his cup as his choice alcohol only served to be useless when he needed it the most. Hearing the doorbell ring, he let the drink linger a bit before he straightened himself up and walked towards the door. Taking a moment to compose his thoughts, Damon opened the door to find that Elijah was standing on the other side. Of all the things that Damon wished for, he had hoped the vampires in daylight would manage to combust as it seemed The Originals could do all and see all in the daylight of things. Wearing his usual cunning smile that would make one think he was the nicest of people but had a devilish mentality underneath, Damon forced a smile as he could only imagine what Elijah had come for.

"Elijah, so nice to see you" Damon declared sarcastically "What brings you back to Mystic Falls?" he asks as he stepped out on to the patio making sure to close the door behind him

"I'm sure you know of what's been happening to Niklaus" Elijah said "I believe it was some of your work, am I correct?" he asked

"You know, I dabbled with a few things and perhaps placed a little spell or two on him. It was more of a precaution to make sure that killing him would be easier, you know since that still is the plan" Damon told him

"I see, so you turned him into a caged animal for your own benefit?" Elijah asked so politely as he began to rub his fingertips together

"Lab experiment of sorts if you'd like to look at it in that way" Damon replied

"And I take it you had your resident witch and her mother to handle this" Elijah said as he looked up at Damon "The boundary spell can be a bit tricky, but you've managed to pull it off" he told him

"I really can't take all the credit" Damon laughed "But I do think it's rather genius" he smiled

"I suppose you would" Elijah replied as he walked closer towards Damon so that he could hear him clearly "And Klaus's whereabouts, do you have any idea as to where he could be?" he asked

"Yes, I've heard but you and I actually share something in common in that aspect because I have no clue as to where he is. I was sort of hoping this might be the part where we divulge on that info" Damon smiled

"I don't take kindly to people going back on their word. It happens to enrage me, but for the sake of keeping my focus on other matters. So do yourself a favor and kindly tell me where my brother is before it begins to be an unkind of day for you and yours" Elijah said all with a smile on his face while Damon looked at him skeptically

"I'm being honest. I don't know" Damon told him

"And would Ms. Forbes know his whereabouts?" Elijah asked

"No" Damon said "Look I'm sure Klaus is somewhere near due to the spell, so your search shouldn't go that far" he told him

"You see that's what you lack Damon. You tend to go for the overall picture but you miss the details" Elijah said "The spell is lifted…" he began to say as it dawned on Damon that that truth was a fact that he somewhat glossed over

"I assure you, we'll be on the look out for him" Damon replied

"Good then, we understand each other" Elijah told him "Be sure that my brother comes back alive…I'd hate for things to go tit for tat" he told him as he pulled a loose strand from Damon's shirt "Have a good day" he said before he turned to leave. Turning to head back inside the house, Damon was immediately greeted by the eager eyes of the usual group. Heading back towards his drink, Damon poured himself another glass full so that it was to the brim.

"What'd he say?" Stefan asked

"Oh, just basically stuff that we all ready know. You know, where's is my little brother and if you hurt him I'll kill one of yours…then the thoughtful part of the conversation, Klaus's boundary spell is lifted" Damon replied in his usual sarcastic manner

"We all ready knew that" Stefan replied

"Yes brother, we all ready knew but I sort of thought that by the time the spell would be lifted he'd he too weak to even leave the confines of his house" Damon said

"So what do we do?" Elena asked

"Well things are a bit out of whack, which means we do it the old fashion way. We find him and we kill him" Damon said

"What was he even doing out in the woods to begin with?" Matt asked as everyone's eyes shifted towards a panicked Caroline

"I believe he was doing Barbie" Damon said as he took a sip of his drink

"Wait, what?" Matt asked in confusion before Caroline quickly got up from her seat and immediately began to gather her things

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked

"I'm going to find him and not kill him. He's weak and he's probably scared out of his mind" Caroline reasoned

"Are you serious?" Bonnie asked

"Yes, Bonnie. I'm serious, I want to actually find him because if you were there last night and saw the thing that just grabbed him, you'd be freaked out as well" Caroline replied annoyed with her friend

"Do you understand the position that you've placed us in?" Damon asked as he shattered the glass in his hand

"Yes, I understand. I do nothing but understand because it's clear that everything evolves around us surviving" Caroline stated

"Then you should know that looking for your little boyfriend would be stupid" Damon said

"I don't care!" Caroline yelled as she clenched her fists "I'm sick of being pulled in every direction. Trying to figure out what is right and what is wrong, when we have no clue what is right and what is wrong because if we did then we'd all be a hypocrite in every word that we say. I chose my friends, when it came down to it, I chose you guys. Why can't that be enough for you guys!" she questioned

"Because you still slept with him" Bonnie replied "You didn't choose us, you chose him" she said

"Okay, whatever. Believe what you want to believe because there is no winning with you Bonnie" Caroline yelled as tears welled up in her eyes "I chose you!" she yelled

"Listen, this argument needs to stop because we have a pack of Originals on our hands as opposed to one. So hate each other another day" Damon stated "You, your out" he said as he looked towards Caroline

"Damon!" Elena quickly replied

"She has to be" Bonnie quickly replied "If we can trust her loyalties then we can't expect her to be on our side" she stated

"That's fine, I'll be glad to be out" Caroline said as she quickly turned to leave only to find that Tyler was on the other side. Taken a back to see her ex-boyfriend, the tension only grew within the group as they all knew that Tyler was unaware of what was going on with both Caroline and Klaus. Growing tired of being around her friends, Caroline's main concern was to find Klaus before anyone else would. Pushing past Tyler, Caroline quickly ran over towards her car and got in while all Tyler could do was look on as she left.

* * *

His eyes fluttered open to see the shadow of the ceiling fan spinning above him, Klaus blinked a few times before he eventually decided that it was best to get up. Vivid images of the night before lingered in his thoughts as he slowly sat up, but it was the dry blood that was on his hands that slowly made him tremble. Staring at his hands, Klaus began to breath erratically as he did his best to piece together what had happened. Quickly sitting up, Klaus looked around to see that he wasn't alone in what appeared to be a warehouse. Looking around lay a room full of dead bodies that surrounded him. Bringing his hands to his face, Klaus touched his mouth to see that it was blood that was dripping from his lips. Trembling uncontrollably as the voices screamed louder and louder in his head as he could only hear the increase of voices from what he looked to have killed in recent moments. Bringing his hand to his head, Klaus grabbed a fist full of hair as he began to mumble uncontrollably to himself as he brought his knees to his chest.

"Help me. Help me" Klaus mumbled to himself as he laid back down with his face on the ground. Looking on at the eyes of an dead body, Klaus continued to mumble as all he could do was look at what he had done.

"You can try to more, but you'll always be a monster. It's in your nature. It's all you know" Mannex said as he walked over the bodies while relieving himself of his gloves

"I'm a bad man. I'm an abomination" Klaus continued to mumble

"Yes, you are" Mannex replied to himself before he stood a few inches away from Klaus as he lay in a fetal position. Sighing in frustration, Mannex moved a body to the side before he kneeled down to his knees.

"I'm a bad man. I'm an abomination" Klaus continued to mutter before Mannex leaned in close to where he was a mere centimeter away from his ear.

"I kill your kind" Mannex whispered "….you're a bad man" he continued to say as Klaus's body began to convulse "Their blood seeping through your veins. Their lives, you have them coursing through every inch of you. Look at what you've done!" he said grabbing his face as he forced him to look on at all the people that he had killed "Look at what you are!" he yelled as Klaus tried to squirm away but found that Mannex strength was too much as the shooting pains began to take it's toll on him

"Aww!" Klaus groaned in pain

"This is what you are! This is what you have become, there is nothing you can do to stop it or prevent it! This is you!" Mannex yelled as the boiling point of the moment had reached its peak before Klaus finally lashed out. Unleashing the deepest of werewolf growls, Klaus rose up to send Mannex flying across the enclosed space to where he slammed against the wall. Turning quickly to see what he had done, Klaus rose to his feet as he was conflicted on whether he should help or flee. Seeing the bodies surrounding him, Klaus was once again reminded that he was exactly what the man had said he was. Taking the opportunity, Klaus quickly fled the scene. Wiping the blood from his lip, Mannex slowly rose to his feet as he favored his chest while he attempted to walk out. Opening up the door, Mannex looked over to see Robert looking out the window.

"Did you have to be so rough?" Robert muttered as he turned around slowly to look out Mannex

"I did what needed to be done" Mannex replied as he walked over towards the viles of blood that were being stored in a fridge

"What now? We've got an Original on the loose that is half out of his mind now, and in a matter of days he could very well die then what?" Robert questioned as Mannex tended to the tubes of blood

"War" Mannex replied as he kept his focus on the tubes of blood "War will ensue" he told him "This is what you wanted, and a war is what you will get" he told him "Now that he's showed his colors. I can be sure that we can move on to the next phase" he said as he put the tube of blood in to the carrying case.

* * *

Coming to a red light at an intersection, Caroline turned the music up in her car as she wanted to avoid any chance of her having to be alone with her thoughts. Caroline had thought to just return home, but every fleeting thought went to where Klaus could be. All she could think was trying to figure out who would want to take Klaus but nothing seemed to come up in thought. Gripping on tight to the wheel, Caroline looked up at the light to see that it had turned green. Preparing to step on the gas pedal, Caroline came to a complete stop when she saw a image flash by. Recognizing that it was Klaus, Caroline was instantly torn out of her reverie as the honking car began to ensue. Immediately undoing her seat belt, Caroline got out of the car and began to run in the direction that Klaus was running in. Going in to the woods, Caroline dodged branch after branch as she followed a mere flash in the woods. Finally coming to an opening space within the woods, Caroline looked around to see that she was all by herself. Listening in closely, Caroline used her impeccable hearing to key in on the fact that she heard squirm like sounds come from a shed house that was a mere feet away. Walking over slowly, Caroline lifted the raggedy piece of wood up to see that it was Klaus clawing away at the wood. His body was riddled with scratches as if someone had been clawing at him while her eyes keyed in on the incision that was on his side.

"Klaus, what happened?" Caroline asked before he flinched in fear of her hurting him

"Stop!" Klaus said as he immediately moved away from her

"I'm not going to hurt you" Caroline told him

"I'm a bad man. I'm an abomination" Klaus muttered

"No, you're not" Caroline quickly replied "What happened?" she asked as Klaus took a moment to himself before he looked at her with tears in his eyes

"I disappointed you. I'm a bad man. I'm an abomination" Klaus muttered

"What did you do?" Caroline asked becoming worried by the minute

"I did bad things" Klaus said as he looked away from her eyes "I'm a bad man. I'm an abomination" he said as he began to outline the words on the wood

"Klaus, look at me" Caroline said as she kneeled down to draw his attention

"I'm a bad…" Klaus began to say

"What happened?…you're not going to disappoint me. I just need you to tell me what happened so I can help you" Caroline told him

"I feel their blood" Klaus said as he began to touch his bare chest "I killed. I killed them all" he told her as he slowly looked up towards her. Taking a moment to process what this could all mean if he was now killing again, Caroline closed her eyes as she could only follow her gut on this one.

"Come on. Let's get you out of here" Caroline said as she extended her hand

"No, stay away!" Klaus yelled as he grabbed a fist full of his hair "I'm a bad man. I'm an abomination" he yelled

"And your also a mess, but I'm here anyways" Caroline replied "Come with me?" she asked once more but still he refused "This is me helping you as a person that is worried about you. There is no sides in this offer, this is just me helping you" she told him with all sincerity

"How can I trust you?" Klaus questioned

"Because I'm not ready to let go of you, and I know if I leave you…losing you will be a real possibility if anyone else gets to you" Caroline said as single tear fell from eye before he slowly took her hand.

* * *

Entering into the living room area with a cup of warm blood in hand, Rebekkah could see that Elijah and Kol were in deep research mode. Not wanting to show her uneasiness quite yet, Rebekkah hoped that along with Elijah's return would come a plan that would finally put an end to Elena and her friends once and for all. Becoming more and more concerned about her brother's whereabouts, Rebekkah became eager for any sign of him to walk through the door so that her nerves would be put to ease. Settling in the oversized sofa, Rebekkah looked out the window occasionally to see that the night was coming on. Hearing a bit of Elijah's rumbles to himself in the background, nothing was differing her away from her thoughts. What if Damon was harming him? She thought as she began to tap her hand feverishly against her leg as Kol could only turn to look at his sister with concern.

"Do you mind?" Kol asks as Rebekkah shot her brother an evil glare

"Have you made any progress Elijah?" Rebekkah asked as she turned her attention towards her brother

"I've made progress. It's all about handling it that makes it a bit detail oriented" Elijah replied as he continued to look at his books

"Details, you have us for that. Details are something that can be determined on the fly" Kol replied

"And that's precisely why time is what we must spend. I can't risk you trying to play hero. We do this my way" Elijah said

"Now I see why Klaus detests you" Kol scoffed

"I'm not one to side with Kol's lack of objectivity, but we are losing time. Klaus is in danger and I bet they're chomping at the bit over that" Rebekkah sighed

"They're at no disadvantage over us. Damon seemed like he had just heard the fact that Klaus was free of the spell for the first time" Elijah replied

"Please, Damon knew. They probably have him locked away somewhere Elijah" Rebekkah stated

"In chains, beating him senselessly" Kol laughed

"Would you two stop running off at the mouth!" Elijah exclaimed becoming increasingly annoyed with his brother and sister "We will do this the correct way, the smart way. There is no room for error" he told them

"And in this time, how much time will Nik have?….I trust you Elijah. I trust you with my life, but it's Nik that I worry for because every moment that passes he gets weaker" Rebekkah replied as tears welled up in her eyes

"Which explains the little game you played on him last night? Way to show your concern" Kol laughed to himself as Elijah couldn't help but pick up on his brother's teasing before Rebekkah shot him a glare

"What's he referring to?" Elijah then asked his sister

"Nothing" Rebekkah replied as she got up from her seat to walk over towards the window to look out

"What did you do?" Elijah asked sternly

"His heart is in this Elijah. Nik has gone and put matters of the heart in this matter, and I'm afraid his weakness may not be physically but in matters of his heart" Rebekkah quickly

"What have you done?" Elijah asked once more "Tell me!" he yelled once more as his calm and coolness seemed to escape her. Turning to look at her brother, Rebekkah could see that Elijah was on edge as her silence only irritated him even more than what he all ready was with the situation. The tension finally broke as Rebekkah held on to her silence in fear of being the one to disappoint Elijah as her phone began to ring. Unaware of the number, Rebekkah looked on at her phone quizzically before she finally realized that it was probably Elena and friends trying to send threats. "Answer" he told her

"What do you want?" Rebekkah asked as she turned towards the window in fear of the phone call being used as a tactic to locate

"I have him" Caroline told her immediately as Rebekkah couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief

"Where is he?" Rebekkah asked sternly

"He's safe, but he's with me. So you can stop your search" Caroline replied

"Stop my search?" Rebekkah laughed to herself "Finding you won't be a problem now that I know what to look for. Just tell me where he is and this won't get out of hand" she told her

"Things have all ready gotten out of him with the attack…" Caroline began to say

"What did you expect? Games tend to catch up to people. Tyler was just wise enough to catch you…" Rebekkah began to say

"Tyler?" Caroline questioned "Tyler wouldn't have kidnapped him…" she began to say as she thought to herself

"He would after he saw the two of you together" Rebekkah told her as Caroline couldn't help but feel like this was yet another avalanche of drama falling on her in the moment "Hurting him wasn't a part of the deal" she told her

"So let me get this straight, you sent Tyler to see us together because that's just your thing and then you set your own brother up to get attacked by Tyler. How diluted are you?" Caroline questioned in disbelief

"Where is he?" Rebekkah asked sternly

"I'm not divulging that bit of information because the way I see it, he's better off with me" Caroline told her

"That's a joke. Nik will never be safe with you. Your loyalty will always be a question because of your ties to Elena. You're the furthest from safe" Rebekkah sneered at her

"Well I'm the only option you have" Caroline replied as Klaus grew tired of the bickering between his sister and Caroline as he limped into the room to grab the phone from Caroline's hand.

"I will find you and when I…" Rebekkah began to say

"Don't…I'll be back, but let me come back on my own terms" Klaus said as he took the phone. Hearing his voice on the other line, Rebekkah instantly broke down in to many emotions as her guilt slowly went to the wayside to know that he was actually okay. Looking on in confusion, Elijah and Kol looked at Rebekkah wondering what was going on. "I'm fine and I will return" he told her as he gritted his teeth to bare the round of voices that were coming his way

"I'll come for you. It's not safe for you" Rebekkah quickly replied

"I don't want you to. So please, I love you but sod off" Klaus breathed as he had to muster up ever ounce of himself to speak as energy was the furthest from what he had. Hearing silence on the other line, Klaus used this opportunity to end the call before any protest came his way. The line went dead as all Rebekkah could do was stare out aimlessly hoping upon hope that Klaus was being safe.

"Where is he?" Elijah asked after he took a deep sigh

"Don't blame me" Rebekkah replied as she could hear the judgment in her brother's voice

"Who else is there to blame?" Kol questioned "He's out there gimping like a soddin old man with a peg leg and we're about to get his bloody doppleganger. Who else is there to blame but you?" he stated

"Kol, life has yet to come around to teach you the lessons of love, but I can stand as an example to tell you it's the cruelest of ways to die when you suffer from a broken heart" Rebekkah replied

"And boo hoo cry me a soddin river. You play your games and think that it will help" Kol replied

"Let him have his moment" Elijah stated catching his siblings attention "We will act without him. His strength will serve as useless but we must save our brother, and it all starts with the spell" he said

"I thought it was broken?" Kol asked

"The spell on his soul. Now there are higher powers that we can bargain with, but we have to be prepared to offer something in return" Elijah told him

"Okay so we bypass the witch, what do we have to offer?" Rebekkah asked

"The abomination of the group. The witch and vampire" Elijah told them as it became clear as to who they'd go after.

* * *

It had been a while since Caroline had been by her dad's place basically because she hadn't known of his residence until his sudden appearance in her life. In his passing, Caroline had learned from her mother inadvertently that he lived on the outskirts of town, which made sense since his collection of vampire weaponry had been passed abnormal. Seeing the dungeon of doom as she dubbed after a few times of looking at it, Caroline couldn't help but be horrified by the sight. Glad that they left on somewhat of better terms, Caroline still had to deal with the anguish that there was a part of her that her father would always hate. Stowed away in the house, Caroline knew that it'd by them enough time for Klaus to get strong before they'd eventually have to return. Heading upstairs, Caroline couldn't help but hear Klaus groaning in pain as another round of pain had hit him from his recent actions that brought on a whole new set of voices that he couldn't ignore. Slowly entering the room, Caroline saw that he had broken out into a cold sweat as the light of the moon began to shine through that revealed his bandages that she had placed on him earlier.

"Do you have liquid healer?" Klaus laughed weakly as he sat on the side of the bed

"I don't think you being on a bender would be the best interest" Caroline said as she took a seat beside him on the bed

"It'd help. I'm not worried about the bloody shadows, it'd help me now" Klaus grimaced

"I hate to be tough, but I need any bit of strength you have. Until morning then will go from there" Caroline said

"How many miles in between?" Klaus asked

"Enough. No one really knows about this place. I barely wanted to know, but we should be safe here for the night" Caroline told him

"From Bekkah's tone, I presume that Elijah has made it. I'm sure that's a barrel of fun back at the house" Klaus sighed

"She sounded worried" Caroline said "Which I hate because the last thing she deserves is sympathy because of what she's done. I mean she literally got you attacked" she said

"It wasn't by Tyler" Klaus said as he laid back slowly in the bed "Of what I remember, this was an elder" he told her

"Are you sure of this?" Caroline asked

"It wasn't him" Klaus replied as he found comfort in the pillows "So you can breath a sigh of relief that he wouldn't be so cold hearted. I'm still the baddie in this scenario" he said

"I never saw you as the bad guy in this" Caroline reasoned "I never saw Tyler as the bad guy, no one is doing anything wrong" she stated

"I saw your face. You seemed heart broken that he knew all out our night together. Like you couldn't bare the fact that he now knows the dirty truth" Klaus said

"I don't want to hurt him" Caroline replied as she thought "I'm tired of hurting people" she sighed

"Give it a few more days, then you won't any more" Klaus weakly to himself

"Could you not joke like that? I don't see death as a humorous joke" Caroline told him

"Oh c'mon, you've got to have a sense of humor in this. Your friends are upset now, but once they see the sight they're eager to see then you guys will talk and then talk some more then forgive and forget" Klaus told her "All you have to do is let go of illusion that I'm some man trying to be better because today is evident that I will never be that" he told her "I will never be any thing that you want or need, so why go through this…why stay in the company of the dying?" he questioned

"Do you ever get tired of feeling sorry for yourself? I mean we just did this last night" Caroline replied

"No love, we did other things but we didn't do this. I'm accepting truths and the truth is that I'm sick of seeing your face" Klaus told her

"You do realize that I'm the one that saved you, I'm saving you!" Caroline stated

"To ease your own guilt" Klaus replied "It's all the same in the end, but you've made your choice so just go after him. Let me be alone. You've given me some bit of dignity, but now I'm asking to be left alone" he told her

"You're not kicking me out of my own father's house. That's not how it's going to work and it's kind of stupid that you think that would actually work" Caroline replied

"What more do I have to do to prove to you that you're the fool in this scenario? Do you want me to kill someone else in front of you? Do you want to see it for yourself? Do you want me to show you how I killed a warehouse full of people just in the matter of hours because I'm telling you with the voices swimming around in me, there was a range that's quite impressive for my own standards" Klaus asked

"You didn't kill anyone" Caroline shook her head in disbelief

"Why? Because you will it to be so?….you can't fix me. You can't make me into someone that you want to be with because at the end of the day we will never be together and event then I will never be that guy for you" Klaus told her

"I'm not asking you!" Caroline yelled "Why do you have to be so damn difficult?" she yelled "You didn't do it and I think in your heart of hearts you know you didn't" she said

"No, I feel it. You may not be in tune with your senses, but I feel the human blood coursing through my veins. So you can't will this to be anything but what it is" Klaus told her "I am what I've always been" he simply told her "And I just wish that you…just let me die all ready because every moment alive just makes me welcome death even more than you know. So just let me die, that's all I ask of you" he pleaded with her with his begging eyes as her simply broke at how helpless he looked in this moment

"I can't do that" Caroline told him after a few moments

* * *

Coming down the staircase after an hours worth of tossing and turning, Caroline made her way into the darkened kitchen. Turning the lights on, Caroline looked through the cabinets in search of the cups. Laughing to herself, Caroline couldn't help but feel like her own father's kitchen had been symbolic of her relationship with him, strange and unaware of where anything was or stood. Finally coming upon the cup, Caroline turned the facet on to get some water. Inspecting the water before she began to sip, Caroline leaned up against the counter as she took a moment to take a deep breath. With the emotionally loaded conversations that she was having with Klaus, Caroline couldn't help but hold on to the fact that even though he was so sure that he killed innocent people, Caroline couldn't help but know without a doubt that he didn't. She knew that she had no concrete evidence, but something inside told her that it was the truth that she had to go by. Just as she got lost in thought, Caroline felt the vibration of her cell phone before she looked on to see that it was Tyler calling. Taking a deep breath, Caroline answered the call knowing that she couldn't avoid him.

"Hey" Caroline said softly

"Where are you?" Tyler asked "Everyone is worried about you" he stated as she could hear the coldness in his voice

"I'm safe" Caroline replied "And besides, I thought I was out?" she questioned

"They're your friends, you're never out even when they say so" Tyler told her "I at least thought friendship meant something to you" he told her

"Don't be like that" Caroline said as she couldn't take his coldness

"Be like what? Be hurt. Be mad. Be pissed off. Be furious with you? I deserve that, don't you think especially when you're making a big mistake by trusting him" Tyler replied

"I see good in him" Caroline said

"No, you see what he wants you to see of him. That's all an illusion, and I just hope you see that before you get into more danger" Tyler said

"He hasn't compelled me" Caroline said as that statement seemed to hurt Tyler even more to know that her actions were under free will

"This won't end the way you think it will. He's going to die Caroline and all you'll be left with is broken friendships" Tyler told her "Save what can be saved" he told her

"I love them. I love them so much, but I just have to hope that they will understand some day, and maybe I will be left with nothing but broken friendships but I have to see this through" Caroline said as tears fell from her eyes as for the first time she was acknowledging that Klaus could die. Silence came between them as they both hurt on their lines of the phone.

"Were we ever going to work on us? Or was this all just a cover to hide what was really going on?" Tyler questioned

"I wanted to. I wanted so badly to go back to how things used to be, but I've changed too much to do that" Caroline said "I can't explain it, but everyone says this is wrong but…it doesn't feel wrong, it feels right" she said as Tyler sighed in frustration

"I won't wait forever Caroline. I get that you need to see this through, but I won't wait forever. I'll always be here and the sooner you realize that…you'll see that I'm the one that loves you" Tyler told her

"Goodbye. I'll see you soon" Caroline hesitated to say before she ended the call. Tucking her phone back away in her pocket, Caroline continued to lean against the kitchen counter as she just stared out aimlessly into the darkened night before she could hear the sounds of footsteps coming down the staircase. Turning her attention over in that direction, Klaus slowly appeared as he showed signs of improvement from what she last saw of him earlier. Walking towards her, Klaus couldn't help but notice the darkened night as well as they just stood in silence for a few moments.

"I'm sorry for earlier" Klaus muttered as he kept his focus on looking out the window while Caroline turned to look at him "I've never been one to accept fate because it's as you say, a bitch at times" he told her as she couldn't help but crack a smile at him remembering one of her references. "I think that's been a while since that has appeared" he said as he observed her smile

"It's been a while for a lot of things" Caroline sighed as he looked at her for a moment before he extended his hand out to her "What are you doing?" she asked

"Asking you to dance" Klaus told her "Dance with me Caroline" he said softly as she had no choice but to take his hand as she was slowly pulled in closely towards his body

"There's no music to dance to" Caroline told him

"You don't always need music to dance" Klaus told her as she just accepted that as truth for now

"For someone who wants me to let him go, you seem to want me close" Caroline said as she observed the closeness of their bodies "Careful, that's what got us in trouble before" she whispered as they swayed together

"You never asked" Klaus then stated as she looked at him for a moment in confusion as to what he was talking about

"I know all there is to know. You didn't do it" Caroline replied

"No, not that" Klaus told her "You never asked me why it was that I loved you" he told her as she looked at him for a few moments

"I inspire you. I've heard it all before" Caroline teased

"That's among the list of things, but me loving you goes beyond your inspiration. Love, the real love, it goes deeper than we originally intend for it to be. It delves into every crevices inside of us that it becomes our illness" Klaus told her

"Okay then, tell me. Tell me what you think I should know" Caroline said as the looked eye to eye at each other as they danced "Just make sure you don't call me a chameleon again, it was cute the first time, but the second time I'd have no choice but to see it as an insult" she told him as he laughed softly

"I love you're beauty" Klaus told her

"That was inspiring. I'm glad you left me in anticipation for that" Caroline replied sarcastically

"Beauty goes beyond the physical love" Klaus smiled "I love that you're heart is beautiful. Your heart could save a world with the textures and shades of love that you have in it, there's no discrimination of what and whom you love…and that will be your greatest asset in life. I love your smile, it lights up even the darkest of souls and I have to say that it's been a pleasure to be in your light. Most of all, I love your soul…" he said as he slowly put his hand to her heart to feel it as if it were beating in his very hands "People think that love is about loving a person's heart, but I've always felt like they got it wrong. You have to love a person's soul, it's the essence of who they are. Hearts can change, but the soul remains the same. I love your soul, mind, and body" he told her as they stopped swaying for a moment "I wished for a forever once before, on my birthday. It's bad luck to say what you wish for because then it won't come true, but it's plain to see that I don't think my end of forever will come sooner than we thought" he told her as she could help but shake her head

"Why is this sounding like a goodbye speech?" Caroline questioned as the tears fell

"Love love for what it makes of you not for the sake of it. Be bold in every thing that you do because I think people underestimate the rareness of leaving an impression on this world, we think it only belongs to the stars but it belongs to everyone, to those that are bold…." Klaus continued to say

"Stop" Caroline told him as she cried

"Happiness is something you mustn't force. It's either in your heart or not, there's no semblance of it. Be crazy at times, it's not of the norm but do yourself a solid by getting out of your head for a bit" Klaus told her as the teardrops fell from his face as he held on tightly to her hands

"Stop it!" Caroline yelled as she held on to his hands

"Kiss like you mean it. Kiss because your heart desires the person you kiss. Kisses are rare, so don't waste them on fleeting strangers. A kiss should always be memorable whether it's the one that you're with for forever or the one you choose to be with for the present, kisses should always count" Klaus said as he slowly brought his hands to the side of her face

"Stop" Caroline cried before he leaned in to kiss her lips

"Any moment with you…that's my forever, and that is something I'll cherish above any minimal feat in my centuries of life because you're the love of an eternity. So if anything, loving you Caroline Forbes has been an honor and a pleasure" Klaus told her after he broke the kiss just as a knock came to the door. Turning towards the door, Caroline looked over in confusion as Klaus seemed to expect it. Desperately trying to hold on to his hand, Caroline pleaded with him to stay but he eventually opened up the door to reveal Elijah standing on the other side

"Niklaus" Elijah greeted his brother

"Elijah" Klaus said

"You don't have to do this. I believe you. I believe in you" Caroline pleaded as a smile slowly came to his face

"I think you'll be the first and the last person to do that" Klaus told her "Thank you for the dance" he told her before he gave Elijah the nod that he was ready to go. Unable to take her presence any more as it slowly killed him inside, Klaus looked back at Caroline one last time before he eventually walked out.

"Your courtesy will not go unrewarded" Elijah said as he looked over towards as they shared a tension filled moment. Turning to leave, Elijah closed the door behind him as Caroline stood still in the same spot he had left her last. Slowly breaking, Caroline wouldn't allow herself to continue to cry as she figured that she had to stop him before he had gone too far. Opening up the door once more, Caroline was immediately grabbed.

* * *

**Lights will guide you home**

**And ignite your bones**

**And I will try to fix you**

Yanking against the restraints as she sat bound and gagged, she looked around the darkened tunnel as the scripts on the walls seemed to be familiar to her. Calling upon a higher power was one symbol that she was able to decipher, but everything seemed a bit foggy to her as all she could do was sit. Her mind raced at a thousand miles per hour with uncertainty but at the end of the day she knew it could come down to this. It had to come down to her choice and who she chose to help.

**Tears stream down on your face**

**When you lose something you cannot replace**

**Tears stream down on your face**

**And I...**

Gritting her teeth as she tried to scream but found that no amount of screaming would cause anyone to hear her for she was too far out. Emerging from the darkness, the darkened figured walked slowly towards her before she gave one final attempt to hold off but to no avail as she suspected. In a quick motion she found that she had been stabbed while all she could do was cry out.

**Tears stream down on your face**

**I promise you I will learn from my mistakes**

**Tears stream down on your face**

**And I...**

Her eyes became a bit heavy as she did her best to stay awake but found it harder to do so. Bits of images stayed with her as she tried to remember this just in case she should wake to another day. Trying to stay awake. Trying to put up some bit of a fight. All she could do was fight until the darkened figures revealed themselves to her.

"I think a momma witch as an offering would be more than suitable" Kol smiled as he kneeled down to cup Abby's face "Rest up, death will be near" he told her while Rebekkah looked on with her arms folded.

**Lights will guide you home**

**And ignite your bones**

**And I will try to fix you**

Her eyes slowly opened as the worst of the punishment was over. Realizing that a shooting pain came from her arm, Caroline quickly sat up to see that an elder man sat in front of her as if he had been observing her. Immediately her eyes enlarged as she looked on at him.

"You, you were at the cabin" Caroline said

"Guilty, but then I wasn't the only guy" Mannex replied

"What does that mean?" Caroline asked in confusion before Robert stepped out of the shadows.

"Robert?" Caroline questioned in complete shock to see him of all people.

**TBC...**


	19. Part Two

**Author's Note: Here it is, the final chapter. I hope you enjoy the chapter. I know I promised 20 so I guess the next chapter will have to be a treat that I hope will get you through. I hope you enjoy the chapter once again, and please read the final Author's Note as well as Chapter Twenty. I look forward to your reviews.**

* * *

**Monster**

**Chapter Nineteen- The Covenant Part Two**

* * *

The sun began to peek through before she finally began to stir awake from her slumber. It was hard to say how she could even sleep after the events of last night, but somehow Caroline managed to drift to sleep. Her eyes fluttered open to see that she was in her dad's room as she could see his eye glasses on the dresser. Slowly rising to sit up in the bed, Caroline almost rose too quickly before she had the jolting realization that she was handcuffed to the headboard of the bed. Trying to recount the events of last night, Caroline grew more and more confused before the door quickly opened and in came the elder man that she had seen from last night. Walking in with a bucket of water and a towel, he began to set it up on the dresser like it was nothing while all she could do was look on at him in complete confusion as to what was going on.

"You can't be serious?" Caroline questioned as Mannex turned to lean up against the dresser

"You'll have your privacy" Mannex replied "I do assume that you like to bath every day, was I wrong?" he asked

"That's none of your business on what I do as my daily routine. Who are you?" Caroline questioned angrily

"Take a look, take a close look" Mannex told her as Caroline just shook her head in confusion by what she was supposed to be looking at "The younger the generation, the easier it becomes to be forgotten" he sighed

"Okay, I have no clue as to who you are. Maybe you're looking for someone but I'm not it and I just really want to leave. So just let me go, I'll forget this even happened" Caroline rambled

"The doctor. I was the doctor" Mannex told him "Well I'm still the doctor, but that's where you can remember me from" he told her

"…with Klaus and Robert" Caroline slowly concluded "What is this?" she asked

"I preferably don't like to entangle myself with such situations but it seems that I always end up cleaning his messes in the end" Mannex sighed "You should really go about your bathing" he then said

"Yeah, no. I'm not bathing in front of you, much less in this house with a guy I don't know much about" Caroline told him as the door opened up once again as Robert walked through "And this just keeps getting interesting" she said to herself before she began to yank against the headboard "Robert! Explain this, now!" she demanded

"What is this?" Robert asked as he observed the bucket of water

"Bathing. Every woman tends to do it" Mannex replied as Robert just rolled his eyes at him before he looked on at Caroline

"Why am I handcuffed to a bed? Why is my arm feeling like I've been stabbed a million times? Why are you even here?" Caroline asked firing off a round of questions

"This may take some time to explain" Robert replied nervously

"I have nothing but time!" Caroline yelled as she put emphasis on the fact that she was handcuffed to the headboard of the bed. Turning to look at Robert, Mannex couldn't help but laugh at the trouble that Robert seemed to conjure up.

"I guess I could start by saying….I'm not the person you think I am" Robert smiled nervously

* * *

Feeling a tad bit like himself, Klaus looked on at himself in the mirror as he felt somewhat stronger. Though he could put on the brave face of being strong, Klaus could not deny that his heart was yet another matter of it's own. He missed her, he ached for her but he had to push that to the side. Klaus had no intention of letting go first, but he knew that if he kept the illusion of what he could be for her alive then she'd stay just out of courtesy of his attempt to be better and he couldn't put her through that. Making his way out of his room, Klaus made his way downstairs as he could hear Elijah reading passages to himself aloud. Klaus didn't have to be in the room to roll his eyes at Elijah's nauseating boredom as it seemed to spread throughout. Heading into the sitting area, Rebekkah immediately smiled at the presence of her brother with his usual brooding face as he took his seat in one of the oversized chair with his book in hand.

"So happy you could join us Niklaus" Elijah smiled

"Well I heard the mumblings of a self imposed classic, how could I turn away from that" Klaus replied sarcastically with a smirk on his face

"Glad to see your back to a bit of form" Rebekkah smiled at her brother

"Where is Kol?" Klaus asked

"He's tending to our offering that we have decided to give up to the higher powers" Rebekkah replied as Klaus seemed a bit confused

"What offering?" Klaus asked

"They've managed to pull on natures sources with witch craft, so we have to go beyond natures sources to natures balance" Elijah told him

"High powers as in The Covenant?" Klaus asked "I thought that was but a mere myth?" he questioned

"The myth is true, you should know this Niklaus" Elijah smiled as he loved getting one up on his brother while Klaus just rolled his eyes at the comment

"The Covenant bargaining with a vampire, I find that hard to believe" Klaus stated "They hate the entire race of vampires, so whatever offer you have will not get me free of this spell" he told him

"It will because if you've done your research Niklaus you'd know that there is nothing worse in The Covenants eye that a disgrace to what they stand for" Elijah told him as Klaus stared at him skeptically as he soon realized that Elijah was all ready implementing his plan. "An abomination is something they'd never stand for" he told him

"The witch. You have the vampire witch…Bonnie's mother" Klaus concluded as he stared at his brother.

* * *

Placing a tray of food in front of her, Caroline looked on at the food with no desire to eat it as he had hoped. Though she did not want the food for protest reasons, Caroline secretly cursed Robert for knowing what she'd like to make her at least consider caving. Sitting in the chair at the foot of the bed, Robert sighed hopelessly as he could tell there was no way that he was going to get out of this without explaining himself in all of this. Being sure not to look over at Mannex, Robert could only imagine what his friend was thinking as he made a conservative effort to not look at him. Getting up to relieve her of the tray, Mannex sat the tray to the side before he walked over to look out at the daylight as he could only imagine that the time was slipping from them.

"Meeting Klaus wasn't a coincidence" Robert sighed as he folded his arms while Mannex turned to look at Robert as he hoped that he knew what he was doing.

"What does that mean?" Caroline asked "Are you even aware that you've been compelled by Klaus?" she asked

"He can't be compelled, his aura won't allow him to be" Mannex laughed as Caroline looked over at the man

"So what? You faked being compelled. Why would you do that?" Caroline asked

"Because I was sent to kill Klaus" Robert replied "His strengths had become a threat, so I was sent to kill him " he said

"Kill him? By who?" Caroline asked "How were you planning to kill him…I mean no offense but Klaus isn't like you, he's different in the sense that he's sort of a vampire then a hybrid" she told him "All of which sounds weird now that you're all uncompellable and stuff" she stated

"Are you aware of what The Covenant is?" Mannex asked

"A movie that I regretted standing in line to see" Caroline replied as she thought back to her younger days and decisions

"Typical" Mannex laughed to himself "Do you make a habit of surrounding yourself with such ineptitude?" he asked

"Hey, don't call me that. I'm fully capable in the brain capacity" Caroline quickly replied as he caught on to what he was saying

"Then how does a vampire such as yourself not prepare yourself with the knowledge that is The Covenant" Mannex questioned

"Because I'm not a part of this so called Covenant" Caroline stated

"The Covenant is the highest power of the witchcraft realm. You have your witches in practice, then you have the witches that are intermediate with the basic witchcraft and then there is the Covenant. The members of this group are able to change the course of time and history, their powers go beyond simplicity but they combine to be an unstoppable force with each entity adding a strength that no other force can go up against" Mannex said

"You seem to be into this" Caroline concluded as she looked at Mannex a bit strange "And where does Robert fit in?" she asked

"I was part, we were a part of The Covenant or at least Mannex is" Robert replied

"How is he still in it and you're not? Since when do witches send others to kill, this sounds like some Bourne Identity stuff" Caroline said

"Robert was kicked out of The Covenant for his dabbling in the dark magics. He went through a time period of recovery and tried to return to The Covenant, as a means to get back in he was sent to get rid of an imbalance in the balance of power" Mannex said

"So let me get this straight, you were fully aware of Klaus and me as in what we really were, and since that's what your against….why did you stay? Why not kill him all this time?" Caroline asked

"Because along the way something felt wrong. I couldn't explain it but it's a decision that I stood behind, and now with the possibility of him dying, I fear this could all be my fault" Robert said

"Abby put the spell on Klaus. It was all a means to kill him and The Originals" Caroline said

"Aw, now we're assisting The Originals, this just keeps getting worse for you" Mannex told Robert

"So then how do you come in to all of this? The doctor?" Caroline asked as she looked over at Mannex

"Lack of will power is how I got entangled in all of this" Mannex replied as Robert just gave him a look "Robert wanted to save Klaus from his death, so he came to me undo the mess. The overall plan was to eliminate his voices but the soul became an issue that we could no over ride with my limited powers and Robert's minimal powers" he said

"So where does that leave Klaus? Can you save him?" Caroline asked with a bit of hope

"Well I had my doubts and still do, but his reaction in the warehouse was a confirmation that he may be able to exist with his soul fully in tact" Mannex said

"You made him think he killed those people!" Caroline yelled as she caught on to what Mannex meant "How could you! You knew he wouldn't respond well to that?" she yelled as she looked over at Robert

"It was the only way to show that his soul worked. He had to feel guilt, he had to show emotion…he had to be as close to human as possible" Robert quickly defended as Mannex soon aura begin to glow. In aura in their terms was a way to communicate with the unseen force that was The Covenant. The shades of color alerted them of the update of the balance of the power, which enabled each member to stay connected with what was going on at any given time. "What is it?" he asked as he looked over at Mannex

"An offering has been given" Mannex replied

"An offering?" Robert questioned "In exchange for what?" he asked

"Life" Mannex replied "An abomination sacrifice, one our kind" he added as he honed in to his aura

"Our kind? I haven't detected any witch using powers for bad" Robert said

"Wait, if The Covenant is all about your kind and is made up of good guys, an abomination would have to be someone that goes against what you guys stand for" Caroline said as she thought

"Yes, but there an abomination sacrifice is rare, it's got to be along the lines of a witch with an unseen power of some sort. Like something as identical to a hybrid" Robert brainstormed as Caroline realized that there was only one witch that she knew that could go along the lines of an abomination in the Covenants eyes

"The Originals, they have their sacrifice….it's Abby!" Caroline yelled as she feverishly began to tug at the handcuffs "You have to let me go" she said

"Why?" Robert asked

"Because this abomination is my best friends mother" Caroline reasoned

* * *

Driving like a maniac, Robert could only go on Caroline's gut that getting to her friends was the best course of action. Mannex could only confirm with The Covenant that it was indeed a witch that happened to be a vampire as well that was being sacrificed. Informing Robert of where to go, he immediately pulled up in front of Bonnie's house to see that Damon and Stefan were all ready present. Getting out of the car along with Caroline, Robert looked on at Caroline rushed up towards the front door where she was met by Elena. Hugging her friend, Caroline instantly began to worry as to where Bonnie was. Showing her that Bonnie was upstairs performing magic, Caroline could only wait along with the others as they waited for the word.

"Who is this?" Stefan asked as he nodded over towards Robert and Mannex

"This is Robert and his friend" Caroline replied "What's happening?" she asked

"We're waiting for the location spell" Damon replied as he walked out with a bag in hand "And while we do that, we're loading up on the white oak" he said as he tossed the bag down to reveal the numerous stakes that he had created

"Do you honestly think erasing The Originals is the best way of finding the witch?" Mannex asked

"Not erasing, killing" Damon corrected "Who's the old guy?" he asked Stefan

"The name is Mannex, I don't typically like to go by the title of friend" Mannex replied

"It's a long story but they're against The Originals as well because they're the opposing side in this balance of power thing, well they hate vampires in general" Caroline explained

"And you thought that'd be best to bring over?" Damon questioned

"I'm here to help Klaus" Robert replied "That's my only intention" he told them

"Then we've all ready got a problem because Klaus tends to fall in to the category of Originals" Stefan said

"Guys, if they came to help then they came to help!" Elena said as Bonnie came down the staircase looking horrified and lost.

"Bonnie, how is she?" Caroline immediately asked as Bonnie couldn't manage to formulate words to describe how she felt in the moment

"They've got her at the Ridges Creek. We have to get to her" Bonnie cried as they all headed out towards the cars

"What's our plan?" Stefan asked Damon as they walked over towards his car

"To make sure Abby is okay and then we get rid of The Originals" Damon replied before he got in the car while everyone else piled into their individual cars.

* * *

Furiously slamming the door of his car, Klaus began to walk around in search of his brother while he could hear Elijah pull up. Hearing the doors slam from behind him, Klaus concluded that Rebekkah was with his brother as well. Months ago, Klaus would've given anything to have this golden opportunity to save himself and potentially kill off a vital source of Damon's crew of people. Running in front of her brother, Rebekkah found that the little strength he did have was still strong enough to over power her. Coming up on the cave that he was sure that Kol was hiding out with Abby in tow, Klaus stopped in front as he just clenched his fist in anger. His hands trembled as the cold sweat came on, but the anger in him allowed him to feed off of the anger as energy. Looking on at Elijah, Rebekkah pleaded with him to step in and do something.

"Kol!" Klaus yelled out

"This is our only way. This is the option they gave us" Rebekkah declared as Klaus kept his focus on trying to retrieve his brother

"Kol!" Klaus continued to yell

"There's no other way Niklaus" Elijah said calmly as he walked up beside his brother

"There is and I will find it" Klaus told him sternly

"Time isn't your friend Niklaus" Elijah said as claps of thunder began to darken the skies

"I'm well aware Elijah. I don't have to run anything by you, I'm not some petulant child!" Klaus sniped at his brother as he began to feel a bit weak

"You've gone mad. You're in no position to decide what is best" Rebekkah replied as she stepped in to the argument between her brothers

"Kol!" Klaus yelled once more "Elijah have him come out or I swear my dying breath will be spent on tearing our brother limb from limb" he threatened

"Do you really think this is real Niklaus? This infatuation with this girl, enough to die over?" Elijah questioned

"No, it's ridiculous. You'll be the fool. You're the fool Niklaus!" Rebekkah pleaded with her brother

"Then you should rest at ease because we're no longer, but that still doesn't effect what I want" Klaus said

"Everything involving her has effected you!" Rebekkah replied angrily "When will you realize that and accept that!" she said

"I have!" Klaus replied angrily "I've accepted it for centuries, but I will not die on someone else's terms" he said as he began to walk towards the cave to enter

"You're a fool" Elijah replied

"Give me the witch" Klaus replied as he began breath heavily as he found his strength began to dwindle even more so that he could barely stand

"Do something Elijah" Rebekkah cried as Klaus resisted her help

"Kol, come out with the witch as your fool of a brother requests!" Elijah called out as the winds began to pick up along with the bit of sprinkling rain before Kol emerged with Abby in tow as she was bound and gagged

"Untie her" Klaus told him as he fell to the floor out of breath

"No! you want to do a suicide mission then do it on your own, but until then she dies" Rebekkah replied through the tears as she walked over towards Abby, who looked more horrified by the minute. Lifting Abby to her feet, Rebekkah glared at the woman just as Bonnie came running up.

"No, stop!" Bonnie exclaimed as Elijah turned to look at her and her friends come up "Let go of her!" she yelled

"Don't think we can do that" Rebekkah replied as the claps of thunder was heard once again causing them all to look

"You're not going to walk out of here, this ends right here" Damon replied as he walked towards Bonnie to make sure that she wouldn't do anything. Noticing the pain that Klaus was in, Caroline edged her way towards him as she once again felt the conflict of being caught in between the two worlds

"He needs help" Caroline called out as she slowly walked towards him

"That's the least of our concern right now" Damon replied as Caroline slowly walked towards him, feeling confused but getting closer and closer to a decision. Caroline finally just bit the bullet and went to be by Klaus's side.

"Caroline!" Stefan called out as the thunder got louder and louder

"I'm not leaving his side. I'm sorry but I can't" Caroline replied as the rain began to pick up

"Let her go" Klaus told his brothers "Let her go" he said once more as it became harder for him to even breath. Klaus's skin began to turn pale as he did his best to sit upright. Wrapping her arms around him, Caroline quickly relieved herself of her jacket to wrap around him as she tried to keep him warm.

"What's happening to him?" Caroline asked as Rebekkah looked on at her brother slowly dwindle away

"They want their offering" Mannex said as the sky began to light with different shades of coloring before a final crash of lighting struck a near by tree. Everyone fell to the floor as Caroline shielded Klaus from any harm that could come his way. Wiggling away from Kol's grip, Abby ran over towards the waiting arms of her daughter as Tyler began to help take the bondage off of her.

"There is no offering, tell them there is no offering" Klaus said through gritted teeth

"Are you sure about this?" Kol asked his brother as he fell to his knees in front of them

"Not this way" Klaus replied as he shook his head to show that he was certain of his decision.

* * *

As the weather began to calm down and the higher powers had accepted that an offering wouldn't be made, Bonnie had more than elated to see that no harm had been done to her mother. Deciding to take her away from all that was happening, Bonnie had taken Abby away while the others stayed back. Though their original plan had gone to the wayside, Elijah was more than prepared to fight for his brother's while Rebekkah and Kol had began their tears of sorrow over him. Trembling and shaking, Klaus grimaced as the voices came and went but were ultimately killing him with every bit of time that passed. Holding him in her arms, Caroline seemed to be the last to accept the ultimate fate as no part of her was ready to let go. Watching from the distance, Elena hated that Caroline had to once again let go of someone that she had clearly grown close to. Elena was sure that Damon nor Stefan would understand due to the circumstances of them trying to protect her, but there wasn't anything Elena wouldn't give than to spare her friend this heartache.

"You should go" Klaus replied as he muttered to Caroline

"Shut up, I'm not listening to you at this point" Caroline replied as she didn't want to have the same argument with Klaus all over again. "You should focus on staying warm and not saying your damn goodbyes all the time" she told him as she rubbed his arms to keep him warm as his clothes were damp from the rain

"We have unfinished business" Damon said as he stepped forth with a white oak stake in hand, knowing that he'd be the villain at this point but he couldn't take the chance of anything happening

"Damon" Elena said

"I'm prepared to be the bad guy in this moment, but I'm not prepared to have anything happen to you" Damon said as he looked towards her

"C'mon Damon…" Caroline said as she cried out "Can't you let this go. He's dying for crying out loud" she cried

"How are we going to do this Elijah?" Damon asked as he walked towards him

"How about we start with me ripping your barely beating heart from your chest" Elijah said so calmly

"This has to end, and it has to end now…" Damon began to say before Elijah quickly grabbed him by his throat

"Nothing in your life is worth living for. You spout out clever phrases but in the end you're nothing. All you will ever be is nothing…" Elijah said through clenched teeth as his anger showed for the first time as his brother's untimely demise was beginning to take its toll on him

"Put him down" Stefan said

"Why? Why should I respect your wishes for your brother, when you can't do the same for mine! Why should I respect your wish for him! He's dying, can't you give us that?" Elijah yelled as tears fell from his face while his anger showed in more ways than one

"We'll give you that. Just let him go" Elena said coming to the defense of her boyfriend before Elijah finally let go as he threw Damon to the floor before Elijah walked over towards his brother. "C'mon let's go" she said as she silently thanked Elijah for not unleashing all his anger on to Damon because she was sure that he wanted to. Walking over to help Damon up, Stefan felt the guilt that he was able to help his brother to leave while Elijah wasn't able to do the same. Stefan and Damon walked over towards Matt and Tyler as they stood in the back ground. Looking on at her friend as she held Klaus in her arms as she just rocked him, Elena wanted to help but she knew that her help had been offered a bit too late. Elena looked back as all she could do was wish that she had done better as her friend.

"You need to go" Klaus muttered

"No, I'm not going anywhere" Caroline told him "Isn't there something you can do?" she asked as she looked over at Robert

"What else can anyone do?" Rebekkah questioned

"You said you were going to save him, save him" Caroline cried

"Robert can't stop this" Klaus replied weakly

"He can, he told me he could" Caroline replied as Robert walked towards Klaus and Caroline to kneel before him

"Mr. Klaus" Robert said as he smiled weakly at Klaus

"I thought I told you to forget me" Klaus laughed weakly as he looked up at Robert

"I couldn't. You're unforgettable" Robert said as Kol looked over at the three

"How can he remember?" Kol questioned "How is it he can remember?" he asked becoming demonstrative with his words

"There is something I can do" Robert said as Rebekkah felt a glimmer of hope while Stefan and Damon began to fear what may come of this help as they slowly eased forward to overhear the conversation

"What can you do?" Rebekkah asked eagerly as Robert looked around to see the different set of eyes that hung on his words. Giving the final look to Mannex, Robert had decided in that moment that he had to go through with his actions no matter the actions that may follow.

"That night in the cabin, it was Mannex and I that took Klaus. We've drawn blood from Klaus's body, enough to be substantial. We then transfused human blood to make him functional and to feed the possible hunger he may have had when waking" Robert explained as Caroline listened intently "We transfused his blood into your body…" he began to say as Damon looked on in horror

"Oh, my God" Damon muttered as he looked over at Stefan to see that his brother had the same expression

"What does that mean?" Elena asked

"I'm confused" Caroline replied

"It means that you two are connected. Whatever happens to him will happen to you, so if he dies…" Robert began to say as he slowly rose to his feet

"She dies along with him" Mannex stated as Tyler knew along with Klaus and Caroline, he'd die as well

"But his soul, it came with the voices and the guilt. He'll die from the voices, self induced suicide" Caroline mentioned

"That's where Robert comes in" Mannex said as he stepped forward "The soul will be something that he will always have to deal with, it has become a part of him but we can minimize his guilt and eliminate the voices. He'll get a reset on his life" he said

"Reset? Just who exactly are you guys?" Stefan questioned

"We're part of The Covenant" Mannex stated

"And I'm….I'm a warlock" Robert confessed "I don't comply to the Covenant's rules, but I have the powers to change fate" he told everyone

"You've got to be kidding me" Damon groaned

"Do whatever you have to, just do it" Caroline agreed as she noticed that Klaus had drifted in and out of sleep, completely unaware of what was going on "Do what needs to be done" she said

"How can we trust you?" Elijah questioned

"I have nothing to gain, and everything to lose" Robert said as he looked Elijah in the eyes before Elijah gave him his confirmation to go ahead. Kneeling down in front of Klaus and Caroline

"What does this reset entail?" Rebekkah asked

"He will be able to live with his soul, but he will have to relearn who he is and his powers. The only thing is that he may not remember any of you in the process because he will have relearn everything that he loved" Robert told them

"So basically he'll have amnesia of some sorts" Stefan concluded

"Basically" Robert said before he turned his attention towards Caroline "Do you want me to do this?" he asked as Caroline cried

"I don't have a choice" Caroline cried "I have to save him and if this is how we save him then we have to" she said in between tears "I just…I just need a moment" she requested as she looked at Robert than on to Elijah as she didn't want to ignore Elijah's wishes for his brother.

"We don't have long" Robert said as he slowly backed away so that Caroline had some bit of privacy with Klaus

"You did it. Like always, you find a way to escape death" Caroline laughed through the tears as Klaus slowly opened his eyes as he slumped down in to her lap "Who knew the person you'd choose to compel would be the one that could save you. I guess you got luck like that" she laughed as she wiped away the tears

"Abby? Where is she?" Klaus asked weakly

"She's with Bonnie" Caroline replied "I saw what you did….I'm sure Bonnie will appreciate that in the end" she said trying to get through her words without getting emotional "But Robert is going to help you and you'll be fine. The voices are going to go away and you'll feel better….you'll be better and that's the important thing" she cried

"I don't want to forget. I heard the old man say I'll forget….I can't forget" Klaus muttered "I don't want to forget you" he told her as he leaned towards her so that they were a mere inches away from each other. Once concern with not wanting people to know about her relationship with Klaus, Caroline found that she didn't care who knew at this point. Others were against, but in a moment like this for some they could understand they couldn't let their own opinions in.

"You won't because I'm in a place that won't ever be erased" Caroline told him as she linked their hands together before she took their hands to put over his soul

"No, I can't take the chance" Klaus shook his head in disagreement as the tears fell from his eyes "I'm not taking a chance on forgetting the few people that I actually give a damn about" he told her sternly

"You won't. I have every bit of faith that you will remember me" Caroline smiled as Klaus looked at her for a moment

"How can you be so sure?" Klaus asked her softly after he placed his forehead against hers "I'm not one to believe in fates, so how can you be sure that you'll fade away to me?" he asks as he looks her dead in the eyes with every ounce of strength he has in him that hopes that she'd have a plan for the future

"Because I love you" Caroline answered so simply as Klaus searched every facial expression and her eyes to finally realize that she meant it. Smile slowly came to his face as some bit of the battle had been won for him, the battle of her heart. Leaning down, Klaus met her lips as they pressed against each other with such a sweetness unlike any other kiss that they ever shared. Her tear drop fell between their lips as he didn't care if she shed a million tears in this moment, she was his and he accepted her in any form.

* * *

**I have called you children, I have called you son**

**What is there to answer if I'm the only one?**

**Morning comes in Paradise, morning comes in light**

**Still I must obey, still I must invite**

**If there's anything to say, if there's anything to do**

**If there's any other way, I'll do anything for you**

Laying him down on the ground to where he was comfortable, Caroline found that every little detail needed to be perfect in her mind as she wanted him to feel no pain. Clenching his eyes close as he prepared to let her go, Klaus felt the fingertips of her hands slip away from him before he quickly grabbed on to them one last time. Closing her eyes, Caroline turned back to look at him with the bravest of faces.

"I'll find my way to you, whether sooner or later, I will find my way to you…so don't give up on me" Klaus muttered to her as the tears fell freely from her face as saying goodbye seemed to be the hardest of things for them, when it was now that they had truly found what they wanted in each other "I love you. Always will…I'll love you to the end of my forever" he told her as she quickly leaned down to kiss him on the top of his forehead. Brushing his hair back in the smallest of motions, Caroline prepared herself for the final goodbye as she quickly turned to leave. Breathing like it was his last, Klaus felt her absence in the physical sense but in his heart in the smallest of ways. He loved her, he was at peace with that but now he had to prepare to let her go unwillingly but he had to.

**I was dressed embarrassment**

**I was dressed in wine**

**If you had a part of me, will you take your time?**

**Even if I come back, even if I die**

**Is there some idea to replace my life?**

**Like a father to impress**

**Like a mother's mourning dress**

**If you ever make a mess, I'll do anything for you**

Giving his warmest of regards to Klaus's family as they looked on with eager eyes, Robert slowly kneeled down beside Klaus. A smile came to his face as he looked on at the person that was once his master, Klaus took a deep breath before he mustered up his courage to be the Klaus that Robert knew him as, not letting anything phase him.

"Go ahead old man, cure me" Klaus told him as Robert found comfort in knowing that he was accepting the possibilities of the bad that could occur

"Your wish is my command Mr. Klaus" Robert told him

"A warlock" Klaus scoffed "You're a bloody warlock and I can't pick up on that" he teased as he gave a weak smile before a moment of silence came between them as they looked at each other "If I may never get to say this…thank you. For everything" he told him as Robert felt proud like a father to hear those words from his mouth "Don't get sappy, just cure me" he said bracing himself.

Spreading his hands in a good length away from each other, Robert began to mutter chants to himself that were of a different exotic language while Klaus lay with his eyes closed. Skies above began to contort with the elements of nature before finally giving in to the winds and lightening claps. Everyone grabbed on to something sturdy for protection as the high winds picked up. Robert continued to chant as he seemed unphased while Mannex looked on as a guide. Blue light began to illuminate from Robert's hands that seemed to absorb the energy from the earth while his eyes turned to blue orbs.

Looking on at the sight, Caroline held on tight to the tree as Elena put her hand on her shoulder for comfort. Watching step by step, Caroline was not going to miss any part of this.

Huddled together, The remaining Originals watched on as they prepared for any trickery to occur. Deep down, Elijah felt as if nothing would go wrong but worrying had become his new character trait since his toughest sibling rival was now reverting back to a self he no longer would know like the back of his hand. Holding Rebekkah close, Elijah wanted to step up as the brother that Rebekkah would need to assure her that a tomorrow would exist like Klaus would for her.

Within a matter a minutes, Klaus body illuminated with the blue glow that came from Robert's hands as he became one with the powers that Robert pulled from the very earth. Gasping in the sensation going through his body, Klaus felt a bit of pain but mostly it faded from his body to where Klaus was able to feel the relief. Suddenly it all ended as Klaus body collapsed to the ground. Laying in a comatose state, Klaus laid peacefully as all anyone could do was look on.

**I have called you preacher, I have called you son**

**If you have a father or if you haven't oneI**

**'ll do anything for you, I'll do anything for you**

**I'll do anything for you, I'll do anything for you**

**I did everything for you, I did everything for you**

**I did everything for you, I did everything for you**

**I did everything for you, I did everything for you**

**I did everything for you, I did everything for you**

* * *

**[One Week Later]**

The memory of Klaus laying lifelessly on the ground burned vividly in her mind with every little things she did. It could be the simplest of task as in paying attention in class, but Caroline found that any form of thought was wondering how Klaus was doing. It had been a total of seven days and seven hours since Caroline had seen him last. Robert would give her the occasional update on him since Elijah had allowed for Robert and Mannex to see Klaus through the process, but everyone else had been stopped from even coming by the mansion. Caroline wanted to refute it, but she knew that if it were one of her family members then she'd ask for the same at least for recovery reasons. Caroline was somewhat content with the updates that Robert would give, but was eager to talk with Klaus in any way possible if it was a possibility. It wasn't until late one evening when Caroline got a knock at her door that she was surprised to see Elijah standing on the other side. Nothing much was said, but Caroline had been asked by the Original to join him back to the mansion, which was his way of telling her that she'd be able to see Klaus. Caroline wasn't in the position to question why now, but Caroline couldn't help but feel like something else was going on by the way that Elijah was acting. She couldn't exactly pin point what was off about Elijah due to his normal behavior, but once she saw Rebekkah upon arriving at the mansion, Caroline was justified to feel like something was in fact going on.

"Ms. Caroline" Robert said a bit surprised to see her as she walked in the house nervously but felt a bit relieved to see Robert coming down the staircase

"Can I see him?" Caroline asked as she looked from Robert to Elijah

"How is he?" Elijah asked after a few moments of silence came between them all

"He's…he's ready" Robert replied as he looked over at Caroline with a quick glance of concern before looking over at Elijah

"Good. I appreciate your help, it's most assuredly valued but I must do what is best from here" Elijah replied as Caroline became alert

"Okay, what is going on?" Caroline asked as she looked over at Robert

"I'm taking my brother to a spiritual healer" Elijah replied "I thought it'd be something he might like to see you, so I brought you here to give your goodbye" he said in his usual business tone

"Goodbye? This is his home, he'll get better at his home…I mean he wouldn't want to just up and leave like this" Caroline reasoned frantically

"He's not of sound mind to really determine what is home to him. I have to look out for him like you have to look out for your friends" Elijah quickly replied "I brought you here to extend a courtesy, but I don't intend for this to be a debate. The decision is mad" he told her

"Will I be able to have contact with him?" Caroline asked as tears began to well up in her eyes as these goodbyes were becoming too much for her to handle

"Minimal contact is best" Elijah told her as she sighed in frustration

"Okay well, will Robert have contact? How will I know how he is?" Caroline asked becoming frustrated

"Do you really think that's best? I mean let's be realistic here, do you think it's good that you get word for word on how my brother is doing, when you're friends are chomping at the bit to kill him" Elijah replied "You're on an opposing side and we have to be realistic to that matter. This is not a fairytale ending, but it's the only one that can be given with the circumstances" he told her

"You're making a mistake" Robert said "I can help him get used to his soul as if he were human…" he began to say

"But that's the thing, he's not human. He will never be human so I don't find conditioning him to have human thoughts and emotion useful" Elijah said

"I can help him" Robert sighed

"Said the warlock with minimal powers" Kol scoffed as he headed back in to the house tossing his riding gloves to the side before he made his way up the stairs

"Fine. Fine" Caroline said as she wiped away the few tears that were falling from her eyes "Can I see him now?" she asked

"Yes, you can see him" Elijah replied after a few moments before Caroline quickly dashed up the staircase towards Klaus's room. Opening up the door, Caroline walked in on Rebekkah as she laid across the foot of the bed with a book in hand while Klaus sat up at the head of the bed. Feeling as if she had walked in on a moment, Caroline prepared herself for Rebekkah's sharp tongue while she couldn't help but look on at Klaus. For a moment, Klaus and Caroline looked at each other while each seemed to be thinking different things. Caroline hoped that she was registering in his memory while Klaus seemed to rack up every bit of thought.

"Elijah said…" Caroline began to say before Rebekkah got up on her own

"It's okay" Rebekkah replied "I'll be back Nik" she smiled at her brother before she made her way out of the room. Looking on the lack of expressions that he used to exuberate with when he would see her, Caroline busied herself as she went to close the door but found that Elijah was standing outside by the staircase to keep watch. Sighing at how frustrating the circumstances were for her to even see him, Caroline opened the door wide enough so that Elijah could see in like he intended to do.

"You and reading. I guess you're back to your old self" Caroline laughed nervously as she looked over on the bed to see that he had his favorite book with him. "You read that book all the time to the point where I thought I'd have to. You're insanely smart" she continued to say

"Because of a book?" Klaus questioned skeptically

"No, I mean it would be stupid of me to think that a book could make you smart" Caroline said as she couldn't help but kick herself for asking such a question, but the weirdest thing of all was that he saw no reason to correct her like he typically would've.

"The Great Gatsby. It's a book I just happened to pick up" Klaus shrugged as he tossed it so effortlessly to the side

"So you're going away, I'm sure it's some sort of family home that Elijah has set up" Caroline said as she began to notice that he wasn't even paying attention to her "I'm surprised you haven't packed all your books yet, that's the first item I suspect you'd get first" she laughed to herself

"They're not my books….they're not mine" Klaus said with a bit of confusion

"Yeah, I mean I'm sure you'll find your own where your going" Caroline said not wanting to confuse him before a moment of silence came between them as they both grew confused. "Do you…do you remember me?" she asked with a bit of hesitation as she felt her heart being stitched on her sleeve even more than ever

"….am I supposed to?" Klaus asked after a few moment of skeptical looks on at Caroline while a piece of Caroline died inside.

"No" Caroline said as she took every bit of courage to muster up a smile for Klaus when deep down she wanted to cry more than ever because the guy that she had now fallen for had now realized she didn't exist to him. Walking towards Klaus, Caroline dug in her pocket to pull out the silver charm bracelet as she stood before him "I want you to take this" she told him

"What is it?" Klaus asked as he looked at the bracelet. Unknowing to him, the new him, Klaus couldn't even recognize that it was a bracelet he had given her when he had first started to let his feelings be known to her.

"It's something I hold dear. I haven't given it up" Caroline said as she looked at the charm bracelet being the only thing she had of the Klaus that had loved her

"Why give it up now?" Klaus asked "I can't take this, it means something to you" he said as he pushed her hand away softly

"I want you to keep it because when you finally realize what it means….I'm hoping that you'll remember the reasons you gave it to me" Caroline smiled weakly as tears welled up in her eyes

"I should warn you that my memory these days is a bit off" Klaus replied as they both looked on at the bracelet before she turned her gaze towards him

"I'll wait" Caroline replied softly "I'll wait for you…I just hope you won't make me wait long" she said trying to find some bit of humor in the tragedy of them missing each other. Taking in her facial expressions, Klaus did his best to jog his memory as he could see that she more than knew him or even had a strong connection to him. Growing even more disheartened, Caroline quickly grabbed his shoulders and leaned in to kiss his cheek before she lingered to take in his scent after the kiss. "Come back" she whispered before she quickly turned to leave while all he could do was watch her leave in a frantic. Tears fell from her eyes as she passed by Robert on her way out of the house, which left Robert in confusion as to what he should do. Should her run after her to assure her that things would get better? or should he give her the space she needed to adjust to the changes? left with questions from every angle. Robert knew that at the end of the day he played a part in the heartache between the two, and the guilt of that would be something that would stay with him.

* * *

Making his way down the darkened hallway of cryptic symbols that only the members of the Covenant had known, Cyrus, the leader of the Covenant, had taken in the sight of all the members that gathered together. Waiting for his entrance in great anticipation, Cyrus took a few moments to himself as he chanted a few phrases to himself before he finally made his way into the meeting hall. Climbling the stairs of ascension that had each witch at it's proper placing upon level of power, Cyrus knew that with each step that he took, he had a duty to each and every member. Taking his seat, The Covenant Members quickly rose to their feet to give their salute to the leader before he acknowledged them for them to sit back down. Reading everyon'e faces, Cyrus knew that with the attention that he was given that his decision was clear and more than neccessary.

"We the Covenant have strived to use our powers for good. Our powers are that can corrupt and disrupt natures natural progression. This...this is your home as your powers are harnassed for a union of good, but it no surprise that along the way of our history upon generation after generation, we've had those that have broken away from the creed" Cyrus spoke with conviction "A balance of power has been disruptted. An evil walks the earth that has no business to even exist...and that, that angers me more than anything. So much so that I feel there is only way to right the wrongs of nature and to abolish the balance that doesn't seem to be protected" he continued to say before he paused "Every vagabond we call vampires, we will abolish. Every blood sucking feign will reach their end by the hands of the Covenant. Our history and greatest accomplishment for those to come, for those we hold dear that shall inherit the creed of the Covenant will see that we upheld what was right above everything else. My fellow members, we are at war!" he declared.

**THE END...or is it?**

* * *

**Chapter Breakdown**

**Okay, so a lot of craziness went down and of course it was a sad ending. I had originally wanted to make it a happy ending, but then I got to thinking and read some of the reviews...then I was like I want to correct some of things in Klaus and Caroline's relationship. In this story, I felt that Caroline was more unsure about her feelings for Klaus so it was basically Klaus being with her knowing that she could leave at any time, and I loved that about him. He loved her knowing that she may not love him back, but loving her was something that just came natural for him. Klaus was always in all the way in the relationship, while she was 3/4 in because she feared what her friends would think. Ultimately, every decision Caroline makes in this story was based on fear of her friends finding out and just not being sure about her feelings for Klaus to really state or be in the relationship all the way. Caroline did in fact grow in her interaction with Klaus and that's what makes it hard for her to leave him because she feels like the only person that understands the person she wants to be is the very person that wants to kill her friends, so that's always going to be conflict. I won't get too much into it, but the tables will turn.**

**Robert had became a crowd favorite by what I read in the reviews, so I wanted to keep him and make him more of an interesting part in all of this. I'm new to the world of sci-fi somewhat, but I wanted Robert to be some sort of a wanderer in some sense but with a past. I decided to have Robert have such an intricate part in saving Klaus because the reasons why Robert doesn't kill Klaus to begin with is interesting. Robert is a Warlock, which has him deemed as a bad male witch in The Covenant. The Covenant is basically the highest level of magic as they all have tha ability to truly effect the balance of power and the perception of reality. So this is like the top notch magic. Robert was revoked from the Covenant due to him breaking the creed and going dark for a bit, while Mannex still has some bit of access to the Covenant.**

**Robert saving Klaus as in resetting him, it basically was Klaus got rid of his pains that came along with the soul that would've killed him by erasing the voices. So it's like he has amnesia to all he's done in his past life that way he can be able to live in his present life. The only thing is that Klaus may or may not be able to remember everything or everyone. Caroline opts to have Robert save him because basically she realizes she loves Klaus and she'll do anything to save him. **

**Robert transfuses Klaus's blood into Caroline's body to insure that Damon nor Stefan will do anything hasty because if they kill Klaus then they kill those carrying his blood as well, which makes it even more awkward for the triangle as Tyler may have died should Damon have killed Klaus. Then Elena sure as hell wasn't going to let Damon or Stefan kill Caroline, so they were up the creek on that one.**

**Ultimately this was all leading up to "Niklaus" the sequel to this story that will not only have Caroline trying to make Klaus/ Niklaus fall in love with her but will force The Originals and Damon with crew to come together to take on The Covenant.**


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